The Reluctant Contestant
by StArCAtcheR17
Summary: AU When Gabriel is hired as a new host for a dating show, Cas has no choice but to follow his brother along as part of the camera crew. Forced at the last minute to be a contestant, he is shocked when Dean Winchester continually refuses to eliminate him.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! So I've been reading fan fiction for about a year now and I suppose the next step in all this madness is to publish my own fic! **

**No copyright infringement intended. I don't own any of the characters from Supernatural. If they want to sign over the rights to Cas though, I'll put him back on the show as soon as possible! **

**Hope you enjoy and more to come!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

"See? I told you I could get us in!"

Castiel sighed dramatically as his older brother tugged him past the elaborate entranceway. Apparently, being obnoxious had perks. It certainly had earned Gabriel a spot hosting several low budget daytime television shows and just enough fame to secure an invitation to one of LA's hottest clubs.

Castiel wasn't famous. He preferred to view life from the other side of the camera and had majored in filmography. Life could be broken down and dissected when viewed from a lens and he preferred it that way. Left to himself, he would have been content traveling to and from his various jobs and spending his evenings with a good book for company. Unfortunately, with Gabriel, that was rarely an option.

Gabriel had broken into his apartment and forcibly dragged his younger brother out that night. Castiel supposed he was lucky he had been wearing a decent shirt at the time instead of his usual tattered ACDC tees.

"How exactly did you get a key to my apartment?" he asked again.

"Doesn't matter. Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answer to. Now," he said with a shove, "let's get in there and start the party!"

Lights flashed in a million different directions and a loud bass shook the floor. The dance floor was packed with gyrating bodies and he could barely hear himself think once they made it inside.

"Once again, you are not the party, Gabriel," he shouted. Gabriel either didn't hear him or chose to ignore the sarcasm. He flashed his younger brother the look Castiel had come to associate with nights he couldn't quite remember and tracking Gabriel down in seedy motels after his latest one-night stand. With a last flirty wink, Gabriel disappeared into the throng in pursuit of his latest conquest and Castiel was left to push his way through the crowd to the club's bar.

Thankfully, there was an open table left near the bar and he sat down heavily. It was already a known fact that the evening was going to be a disaster; he just had to be sure to prevent anything truly awful from occurring while Gabriel was drunk.

He looked around. Without his brother prodding him for an answer, he could silently admit to himself that the place was impressive. It had three separate stories that all revolved around a central dance floor. Staircases of every type and size twisted through the levels. Lights of all shades glimmered from corners and the place even had it's own waterfall.

Castiel supposed that if he paid a little more attention to popular culture he might have recognized some of the people surrounding him. However, while he loved his job behind the camera, he had only been involved in offbeat, underground films investigating social conflict, moral dilemmas and current events. And while he had found minor success in low-level film festivals, he job didn't exactly earn much face time with anyone that frequented the cover of People. So, consequently, he was more than a little surprised when a warm body sat down next to him and introduced itself.

"This seat taken?" A warm grin and a pair of bright green eyes greeted him when he glanced up from the beer he had been nursing.

"Ummm…no, actually. Not that I'm aware."

The man sat down right beside him. He said something but Castiel couldn't hear above the noise and had to lean in closer.

"You just looked lonely, sitting all by yourself," the man said. "I'm Dean, by the way."

Still slightly shocked someone had bothered to talk to him, Castiel found himself answering. "No, I'm not lonely, I'm here with my brother."

"Well, where is he then?" The man—Dean—smiled like he was enjoying a joke.

Castiel realized he hadn't seen Gabriel in over an hour. He shrugged sheepishly and Dean laughed. "Some brother huh? Really knows how to show you a good time?"

"Something like that."

"It's alright—my brother, Sam, can be the same way. Only he ditches me in libraries instead of clubs," he said with evident fondness in his tone.

The man was attractive, Castiel could admit. As he spoke, his face lit up in a way like he was used to enjoying himself. He had broad shoulders and sun brushed skin that spoke of time spent outside. A black tee settled loosely over a pair of worn denim jeans and a pair of scuffed boot peeked from under the hems.

Castiel found himself leaning in closer, drawn to the man, and accidentally brushed his knees agaisnt Dean's. It had been a long time since he had let himself like a stranger, or anyone for that matter.

Dean looked, surprised, at where their knees met. He paused midsentence and his brow furrowed like he was trying to come to some sort of decision. "Do you dance?"

Castiel didn't dance. Or, rather, he never danced. He always thought he looked like an idiot on the dance floor.

"Yes." The answer popped out involuntarily without his consent. However, before he had time to recant, he found himself on his feet, hand in Dean's and being led toward the dance floor.

Strangely, it didn't matter Castiel couldn't dance. He couldn't tear himself away from Dean if had wanted to. The man could really move. After an initial awkward moment where Castiel couldn't figure out where to stand or place his hands, confident arms encircled his waist and Dean's moist breath exhaled deliciously next to his ear. Before he even realized what was happening, his hips were rocking to the beat automatically against Dean's.

The tempo picked up and one of the arms at his waist began moving up and down his thigh, pulling him flush against the other man's body. Castiel's breathing sped up and he lost track of time as he moved with Dean. Everything else in the room faded and the only thing that mattered was the other body moving so incredibly against his own. Castiel's hands wandered without permission, reaching behind to fist in Dean's hair.

"Look, just so you know, this isn't exactly normal for me, but do you wanna get out of here?" Dean asked in a low voice and intentionally shoved his hips harder against Castiel's.

In a crazy moment, Castiel turned around to face Dean and nodded. Faces inches apart, Dean smiled slowly, pulled Castiel back to him and leaned in. Castiel closed his eyes and waited for the moment he would first feel that soft brush of lips…

"Hullo people of LA!"

His eyes jerked open. That voice was familiar. The music had stopped and Gabriel was up on on stage wielding a stolen microphone. A shit-eating grin on his face, he swayed from side to side.

"It's a lucky night tonight, ladies and gents. You're here with the one and only Gabriel Novak. I'm famous, you know."

Castiel winced and pulled away from Dean. Dean jerked away then, bewildered, like he too had been under some sort of spell and now realized what he had been about to do. He dropped his hands from Castiel's waist and took several steps back, looking wildly around as he did so.

"This isn't...what am I doing? I think…I have to go," he sputtered.

"There's been a convenient change of plans and I'll be your new host tonight!" Gabriel slurred as he caressed the microphone. "To start things off, I'd like to open with my personal rendition of 'All the Single Ladies'. Eat your heart out girls," he yelled and rolled his hips.

Castiel almost reached forward to grab Dean's arm before he could disappear into the crowd. He almost pulled Dean to him to finish that kiss before the other man could decide it was a bad idea. Instead, he ran toward Gabriel.

He threw a last look toward Dean. "I'm sorry," he mouthed but Dean wasn't looking at him any more. Castiel shoved people aside and reached the stage at the same time as the security guards.

"Cas!" Gabriel yelled, seeing his brother. "I'm sorry, have I introduced everyone to my brother? Cas…everyone. And visa versa or whatever it is they say."

Castiel caught Gabriel as he tipped sideways and the microphone rolled across the stage.

"You idiot. Shut up and let me get you out of here," he hissed and turned toward the guards.

"Gentlemen, please excuse my brother. We'll get off stage immediately—I've got the situation under control."

Gabriel, in a horrible burst of inspiration, yelled that he was sorry, broke free of Castiel's hold and kissed one of the guards flat on the lips in front of the entire club.

And that was how Castiel found himself booted out of LA's nightlife, sitting on a cold curb and letting his incoherent brother drool all over his shoulder.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to the people who submitted reviews! This is the first time I've done this and would love love love some feedback. **

**I would promise you all a date with Dean if you reviewed, but unfortunately, I don't own Supernatural or any of its characters. **

**Okay, onward!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"Oh c'mon, Cas, you can't be mad forever. I got us first class tickets, didn't I? And I got you some real work. You can buy pop tarts!"

"I'm a sellout and I'll kill you if you ever tell anyone I'm doing this."

Despite or perhaps because of his personal antics, Gabriel had been somehow hired as the host of a new dating series ironically named 'Single Ladies'. After screaming his acceptance into the telephone, his first act as host had been to insist that they hire Castiel as part of the filming crew. Castiel had flat out refused.

"_No," he said before Gabriel had even finished explaining. _

"_Cassie—you're not even listening. This is a REAL show. Don't you want to work some place where they give you…I don't know…a paycheck? Plus, hot chicks are involved. Need I say more?"_

"_No." _

"_Please!"_

"_No." _

"_You know I'll get my way," he said coyly. _

"_I don't take charity."_

"_We're back to this again?" Gabriel groaned and pulled his long hair in frustration. "Charity is the money I give you for rent and groceries each month. This is called work." _

_Castiel knew he was right. It was already embarrassing that Gabriel regularly paid his phone bill and showed up with bags of groceries. He was being offered a chance to make a decent paycheck for once in his life. He just didn't want to give Gabriel the satisfaction of being right. _

"_They won't even put your name in the credits, okay? It's just temporary work. Then you can go back to doing all that artistic crap you like so much. Plus," he adopted a pitiful expression, "I'd sorta like, you know, a little company while I'm there. You know…family and stuff." _

_Castiel groaned. "You're not allowed to pull the family card. You still owe me for that night in L.A., remember?" _

_Gabriel grinned wickedly. "Actually, from what you've told me, I think it's the other way round'. What did you say his name was again?"_

_Castiel really needed to take a page from the advice he always gave Gabriel and learn to shut-up. He had told Gabriel about Dean in what must have been a fit of temporary insanity. He had just needed to tell somebody, anybody, what had happened; otherwise, if he never told a soul, he was afraid he'd believe he made the whole night up. _

"_Shut-up. Fine. I'll do it. Just go back to being annoying in someone else's apartment."_

"_Love you too, Cassie!" And that was that. Castiel was hired as a cameraman for the third season of Single Ladies. _

Castiel slouched into his first class leather seat and looked out the window. At least he was getting to travel. They were flying to the middle of Colorado, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, where the Winchester family spent their summers.

From what he could discern of Gabriel's endless drivel, the Winchesters were generally considered royalty of the political arena. Generations of Winchesters had served in office and the family was wealthy beyond belief.

He interrupted Gabriel's commentary about the Winchester's twenty-four acre ranch, set in the middle of ski country. "Wasn't there something about the Winchesters in the newspaper last summer?"

Gabriel groaned. "Yes—don't you ever read the magazines I bring over? The youngest Winchester—Samuel—was involved in a drug scandal. Apparently he was caught with a boatload of some highly illegal substances. While Daddy's been at work in Washington, Sammy was getting high. That's why the family agreed to the show, you know."

"What?"

"Reputation, Cas, everything's about reputation. Sam just got out of rehab and this show is the chance to show the family in a positive light. The eldest son is of age and needs a wife. It was pretty much the perfect opportunity for them. And for me," he added smugly.

"So, what? He'll find true love on a dating show while simultaneously restoring his family's image?"

"Of course. Doesn't everyone find true love on TV?" Gabriel sniped. "Look, it doesn't matter really, does it? You just need to film this guy in his forced attempt to find a suitable lady-friend while making sure you capture all my funniest moments."

Castiel grinned a little at that. "Wait—so you think you're funny?"

"Why are you always so mean to me?" Gabriel pouted for the rest of the flight.

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><p>Castiel had to admit, Colorado was beautiful and the Winchester's mansion fit perfectly into the forested land. Built in the log cabin style, it sat nestled in the shadow of the mountains. On his first day on set, before the Winchesters and the contestants arrived, he worked with the camera crew to rig over a hundred different cameras into every part of the ranch.<p>

Besides installing the usual equipment inside all the extensive rooms of the house, cameras were placed in the stables, the pool house, the entrance roads and even strategically throughout the snowy woods. By the time they finished, not one moment of the Winchesters' lives would be private. It was rather tedious work and it reminded Castiel a little more of Big Brother than he was comfortable with, but he took pleasure in discovering the best angles for each camera.

In fact, the day would have been pretty much perfect if Gabriel hadn't burst into the room he was currently working in with a panicked expression on his sweaty face.

"You have to…need your help…it's bad…but you'll help…and I need some water," he wheezed.

"Altitude's really getting to you, huh?" Castiel commented casually. He had learned a long time ago not to take Gabriel's crises very seriously unless he uttered the phrase "and then I got arrested". Which he actually had once or twice.

Gabriel took a moment to collect himself. "No, this is serious, I mean it. Look, the contestants, the Winchesters, everybody arrives tomorrow and I just got word that our only male contestant quit!"

Castiel was confused. "Male contestant? I thought you said this guy is looking for a wife."

"Well, that's the fun part," Gabriel whined, "This guy's as straight as an arrow, but we're throwing in a male contestant as a surprise. It would have been the first one ever in a show like this. Can you imagine the ratings we would have got? All we need is one stellar first episode and the rest of the season's clinched. But our guy backed out at the last minute."

"Well, what am I supposed to do about it?" Gabriel tilted one eyebrow mischievously and Castiel got a bad feeling in his gut.

"You're insane."

"Am I insane? Really?"

"Yes, you are. I already came on this stupid adventure, you can't ask for this too."

"We have to have twelve contestants, Cas! And it's too late to find anybody else!" Castiel closed his eyes and counted to ten, but when he opened them again, Gabriel was still there.

"I'm going to pretend you are not asking me to do this." He climbed off the ladder where he had been attaching a camera to ceiling, intent on getting as far away from his brother as possible.

Gabriel jumped in front of him before he could leave. He was short, but he could really block a door when he put his mind to it. "They'll pay you extra! Listen to me, Cas—no, look me in the eye—how bad could it be? They're eliminating two contestants the night everybody arrives! He'll get rid of you right away, it'll be a successful first episode, and you can go back straightaway to being part of the camera crew like nothing ever happened."

When he said it like that, it didn't sound all bad.

"How much?" Castiel asked warily.

"A grand. One thousand buckaroos." Images of a new camera he had been saving for swam to mind.

"And it's just for tomorrow evening?"

"Yup. It's a sure deal."

"Why me?"

Gabriel sighed. "Really, do I need a reason? You're my brother and I come to you when I need help. Besides, it's not like you don't have the looks to fit right in. I may be brainy, hilarious and possessing of a certain charm but you, my dear brother, definitely got the good looks." Castiel was pretty sure Gabriel was deliberately flattering him in an attempt to get him to agree.

"You already know I'm going to say yes, don't you?"

Gabriel's eyes twinkled. "Love you, little brother! Now I have to go find you something to wear!"

Castiel picked at an old hole in his favorite trench coat. Trench coats were trendy, right?


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey!**

**First, thanks for all the love with the reviews. You all totally make my day. It's so awesome to write something and know that people actually enjoyed it. **

**I was thinking about who to include on the show, and I have to say, Sarah Blake remains one of my favorite characters, mostly because she's the only lady who's survived being with Sam! **

**I promise that Cas will visit your dreams tonight if you review! (Once I secure permission from the owners of Supernatural for him to do that because I definitely don't own that awesomeness)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

The Winchesters arrived early in the morning, but Castiel missed it because he had to be driven to the airport so he could pretend to exit the private jet along with everybody else. He told Gabriel it was stupid but apparently the production manager had insisted on it for "authenticity's sake". As if there could possibly be anything authentic about a dating show.

So Castiel was awkwardly shuffled onto the docked plane as the camera crew (where he should have been) set up to film the contestants as they entered the airport. He was shoved into an empty seat and turned to find a girl with wavy brown hair sitting next to him and worriedly biting her nails.

She attempted a small smile. "Hi, I'm Sarah Blake."

"Castiel," he grunted.

The girl must have been really nervous because she just kept talking. "Are you actually a contestant? Do they allow male contestants? " she asked and then clapped a hand over her mouth. "I mean, sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to. I was just curious but then I realized how that must have sounded. Jeez I'm an idiot."

Castiel decided he liked her. "No, it's okay. I'm a replacement actually; the guy who was supposed to be here couldn't make it. I wasn't told what happened." He sighed. "I'm supposed to be filming this scene, not participating in it."

"Oooh! So you can operate a camera? That sounds really interesting! How'd you end up sitting by me instead then?"

"It's a long story involving family guilt, bribery and extraordinary bad luck. Maybe I can tell it later?"

"Sure," she nodded agreeably. "Are you nervous? I'm trying not to be but," she held up her nails with a guilty expression, "I don't think I've quite convinced myself yet."

Castiel chuckled, suddenly feeling more at ease. "No, not really. I'll be eliminated in just a couple of hours and the embarrassment will end. You won't be so lucky though."

Sarah's shoulders slumped and she looked abashed. Castiel realized his mistake. "No! I mean you won't be eliminated, like me. I'm looking forward to it actually. You're nice and pretty and I'm sure this guy will feel lucky to have you. You'll get a rose, easy."

"You're really nice."

Castiel shrugged. "I should pay you to say that around my brother. Why are you here anyway?"

Sarah flushed and looked away. "Well, I sort of auditioned on a dare and I guess I never backed out because, well, you'll probably laugh, but I guess I believe in true love. It seemed like kind of a sign they even cast me!" she ended defensively.

Castiel wasn't sure he believed in true love unless that moment, when a film was finally ready and edited to perfection, counted. He made an effort not to laugh at Sarah's enthusiasm though and nodded seriously.

"Well I guess I can admire the fact that you're willing to take a chance."

"Thanks."

Castiel took a second to look around at the other contestants. A sea of beach blonde hair, perfectly manicured nails and sequined tops greeted him. He never normally noticed women but he actually had trouble telling these ones apart. _Good luck Mr. Winchester_, he thought amusedly.

A voice announced over the speaker that the airport was ready to greet the women of Single Ladies. Castiel wasn't prepared though for the sheer amount of luggage eleven women could cram on a plane and the time it would take to unload it. He was sure the plane was supposed to have a separate compartment for all that stuff.

Sarah struggled to pull her own carry-on out of the overhead bin. Castiel sighed exasperatedly and reached up to help her.

"I got it."

"Oh no, you don't have to do that. I'm sure I can…get it," she panted as she tugged uselessly on the suitcase strap.

"No, really, it's fine, Sarah." He playfully swatted her hands away.

"Would I technically be cheating on Dean if I said I loved you right now?"

"Did you just say Dean?" Castiel put the suitcase on the floor and grabbed the extendable handle. It was beyond ironic that Gabriel ended his…whatever it had been…with one Dean, just to drag him to another in Colorado.

"Well, hello there, handsome. Mind helping me too?" a woman with fake lime green nails said and thrust a satchel his direction. Before Castiel could even offer, suitcases, bags and purses of every kind were shoved into his arms. He looked like a walking suitcase himself by the time he staggered off the plane.

"And this must be the show's new luggage man!" a familiar voice boomed. "No, sorry folks, I think it's actually our last contestant!" A pair of hands removed some of the bags and Castiel found himself staring into his brother's wicked grin.

"Why yes, ladies and gentlemen, I do believe it's Castiel, the twelfth contestant on our show! I think someone's suffering from a case of the nerves under all that baggage. Let's leave him to it, shall we?"

"No, I just thought I could help…" Castiel began, but the camera had already turned away and narrowed in on Gabriel, who had placed himself in the middle of all the girls and was posing in suggestive ways as the contestants giggled around him.

Cameras flashed, names were exchanged and people were loaded into limos during the time it took for Castiel to hand over the last of the luggage to the drivers. He barely managed to slip into the final car before the party left for the Winchester ranch.

Maybe extreme confusion and physical labor were actually Gabriel's twisted way of helping him stay out of the spotlight, he thought as he watched the snowy landscape pass by.

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><p>Castiel rolled his eyes as he stepped onto an actual red carpet. Someone had ridiculously unfurled a red runner over the snow-crusted path to the mansion. Although, as his traitorous artist's eye reminded him, the effect of a red carpet on a completely white terrain was quite visually striking.<p>

A solitary figure was framed in the shadow of the great double doors that served as the main entrance and a cry of excitement rose from the contestants around him. Castiel laughed as they wobbled dangerously on expensive stilettos in their haste to meet the oldest Winchester. They would be in for a major disappointment when they realized it was only Gabriel's silhouette that darkened the doorframe.

He trailed behind. If he could make it through the whole thing without having to meet the actual bachelor, it would be for the best. A small hand grasped his shoulder and he looked over, surprised, at Sarah Blake.

"I thought you said you weren't nervous."

"I'm not. I'm debating the merits of escaping into the freezing woods. Hypothermia doesn't sound so bad." He smiled at the practical snow boots she had worn. "With footwear like that, you could always come with me, you know."

She slapped his arm. "I'm beginning to think you're a big baby, Cas, under all that sarcasm! Buck up, buddy," she winked and tugged him down the aisle.

They made it into the house after the rest of the pack. Once inside, Sarah was immediately abducted to console one of the girls who'd actually broken her heel on the trek in. Castiel shoved his hands in his pockets and looked for the cameras he knew had been inserted throughout the main hall. If moved a little to the left, he could stay in the camera's blind spot indefinitely.

Unfortunately, while Gabriel had been shockingly merciful at the airport, he showed no such inclination now. Somehow his voice rose above the throng.

"Ladies and gent! In case you're wondering, Castiel, that means you. If you'll follow me, you'll get to meet the master of the house in just a moment!"

He was ushered into a large room where a single broad staircase descended from the floor above. An intricately carved wooden railing lined the curved steps and a chandelier hung at the base of the stairs. Gabriel arranged everybody in an orderly manner and signaled for the cameras to start rolling again.

"Welcome to the Winchester mansion," he began in a sleazy talk show voice, "where you might just meet the love of your life tonight…or be sent home in disgrace this very evening." A murmur rose from the contestants; apparently the show had not informed them that the evening would end with an elimination.

Castiel stood silently through Gabriel's whole spiel about how great Dean Winchester was, how tragic that someone as good looking as him hadn't found a match yet, how this was his last chance for love etc. He wondered absently how it was possible for Gabriel to act like this was the most interesting thing he'd ever talked about. He fingered the hem of the blue shirt his brother had forced him into, citing that it matched his eyes (Castiel had taken an embarrassingly long moment to remember that they were actually blue, he so rarely bothered with mirrors).

The sound of a door opening caught his attention however and he looked up to see none other than Dean Winchester gazing down upon the contestants. Dean Winchester. The same Dean from that night in the club, the man he couldn't stop thinking about. Dean. His eyes were the exact same shade of green Castiel remembered them being. Funny how he could remember something like that.

He stopped breathing altogether when Dean's eyes immediately zeroed in on his own.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the reviews! This story is completely running away from me! I originally meant it to be five or so chapters but ideas just keep popping into my head. I blame Gabriel. If you've followed me this far, thank you for reading. It makes my day to see all your alerts and reviews. **

**Disclaimer: If I owned the rights to Supernatural (which I do not, sadly) I would never have let Gabriel die. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Dean forgot his elaborate welcome speech. He forgot how he was supposed to grace the crowd with a wide smile and run his arm suavely down the banner as he descended. He forgot what he was wearing, what his name was even. He was instantly robbed of all higher brain function by a face he thought he'd never see again.

He hadn't forgotten that night in L.A.; a mop of artfully mussed black hair and a pair of piercing cerulean eyes haunted his dreams. Dean still wasn't sure what had possessed him to ask the guy to dance, but found that he couldn't erase the way he had felt pressed tight to the other man and the feel of the fingers that had wound through his hair as the beat pumped.

His body hadn't let him forget the blue-eyed stranger either. Right now, it furiously demanded he grab the man in question and resume where they had left off.

An awkwardly cleared throat brought him back to the moment.

"Apparently, all you lovely contestants just took Mr. Winchester's breath away. What a night!" The host, Gabriel, chuckled nervously. He beckoned to Dean in a tight motion and his gaze held an edge of panic in it.

That was all it took for Dean to remember himself. He would have to play the part expected of him until he could get some answers. His family expected it and Sammy needed it.

He smiled and strode warmly down the stairs to his guests. "Mr. Novak is right—I wasn't expecting to greet such a beautiful group of women." He paused awkwardly, realizing his error. "And men." He carefully avoided looking where he wanted to look the most.

Dean walked to where a vase of carefully preserved Colorado columbines had been placed. Grabbing the flowers, he said, "Welcome to my home. I hope that while you're here you'll feel like this is your home as well. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to getting to know every one of you and, of course, meeting that special contestant I might want to share my life with." His mouth moved automatically, reciting the words the show's producer had told him to say.

He was supposed to give a flower and a kiss on the cheek to each woman, but when he reached Blue-Eyes, he paused. Blue-Eyes stared at him and tilted his head expectantly. He raised an eyebrow, as if he understood Dean's predicament, but made no move to help him out.

"Uhh, here you go." He crammed the flower into the man's hand. Flowers were a stupid idea all of the sudden. "And I guess, errr…" He held his hand out awkwardly and tried to ignore the sparks of electricity that zinged through it when Blue-Eyes returned the handshake.

He turned around before he did something stupid like sweep the man into a desperate kiss or demand to know why he was on the show, and addressed the group. "I know this isn't a rose, but I hope you will all consider it to be at least the promise of a friendship for now."

Dean clasped his hands together. "Well, I guess you all will want a moment to check into your rooms and change for the evening's activities. Until we meet again!" Playing the part of a gracious host, he bowed dramatically while allowing himself a final long look at the man with the blue eyes. He had to force himself to stop staring and walk away.

Gabriel's eyebrows waggled. "He has a hot tub, ladies!" he cried and pulled a Speedo out of thin air to twirl around his fingers.

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><p>Instead of sleeping in the crew's quarters, Castiel was led to a bedroom on the west side of the house. Dark wooden floors stretched across the room to three large windows that faced the mountains. It had begun to snow lightly and a wave of white dusted the trees. A fire was already alight in an old-fashioned brick fireplace that sat in front of a comfortable queen sized bed.<p>

He really didn't have anything to unpack. All his clothing had been deemed unsuitable or 'unemployed-esque' from Gabriel and had magically disappeared before he could pack. Castiel hoped his brother hadn't burnt the stuff like he had claimed; he was going to need it once he returned to the other side of the camera.

He peered into the washroom and discovered it was adjoined, Jack and Jill style, to the room next to his. A bright pink brush had already been laid out on the counter and a curling iron glowed next to the sink.

The door on the opposite side of the room creaked open and Sarah's wavy mane of hair peeked through. Castiel let out a sigh of relief and Sarah grinned when she saw who it was.

"Oh, good! I hoped it'd be you. After seeing all the time the other girls took to get ready for a single plane ride, I was afraid I'd never get to use the shower again!"

"You still might not. I think you should know I take horribly long showers and spend lots of time on my hair."

She brushed him aside with a punch to the arm. "Sure you do. I'm sure it takes hours to sculpt hair that deliberately messy. What are you going to wear? What do you even wear to something like this?"

"You really think I know the answer to that question? My brother confiscated my favorite trench coat on the grounds that I looked like a stalker."

She giggled. "Alright. As long as we both look like idiots then."

"I believe I can keep that promise," he said solemnly.

Sarah glanced down at her simple wool skirt, forest leggings and argyle blazer. "You know, I'm just going to wear this. I'm supposed to be liked for who I am, right? 'I live in a library' is definitely my style."

Castiel extended his arm and Sarah tucked her own through his. "Shall we?" he asked.

"Let's go for it," she said confidently. Castiel's gut twisted at the thought that he would see Dean again in just a few short moments. He couldn't tell if he was excited or if he was just going to throw up.

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><p>They worked their way toward the main rooms where the mixer was being held. However, as they passed through a long empty corridor, Castiel heard voices murmuring from under a partially closed door. He excused himself from Sarah and told her he'd join the party shortly; he just needed to use the restroom again.<p>

Instead, he doubled back and crept within listening distance of the room where two male voices seemed to be arguing.

"It's good for publicity, okay? You should have seen your face when you spotted him—that's the look that sells shows. You don't have to keep him beyond tonight and there's still plenty of girls to choose from." The voice was rather high pitched and defensive.

"That's good because I'm not gay, Balthazar. I thought I was supposed to be told about stuff like this. This is my _life_, okay?" The second voice was definitely Dean and Castiel's stomach clenched in an unpleasant way.

Obviously, Dean regretted the night they spent together. Castiel slammed a fist into the solid floor and cursed Gabriel for getting him a job. This was why life was so much simpler behind the scenes.

The shadows shifted and Castiel was suddenly afraid someone had heard him. Without a second look back, he scrambled down the hallway and prayed that the night would pass quickly.

Dean sat back down; he thought he'd heard someone. "Look, Bal, I get that you're interested in ratings, but it's already hard enough that I'm somehow supposed to convince the public that I'm this nice, regular American guy without having you throw things like this at me. Sam needs this chance. I can't mess it up with someone like Blue-Eyes."

"You nicknamed him?" The spiky-haired producer picked at his nails.

Dean flushed. "No, it's just that he has really blue eyes. It just popped out of my mouth."

A look of understanding passed across the producer's face. "He is rather attractive…sure you want things to end tonight?"

Dean narrowed his eyes. "This isn't about me. You're getting a show, my family's getting a second chance and that's it. I'll go home with whoever they want."

"Quite a martyr, aren't you? Have you ever asked yourself what you want?"

Dean didn't know how to reply to that. He was honestly a little afraid of the answer.

* * *

><p>To Be Continued...<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay! Next chapter! I would love love love to hear what you all think! It makes my day to get feedback from all you wonderful readers! Thank you so much for the alerts and reviews. **

**I might be a musician in my real life and couldn't help inserting some music love into this chapter. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Gabriel, true to form, showed up at the mixer in a pink Speedo. Amid the endless small talk, he watched his brother lurk on one side of the room and Dean on the other.

The one thing Gabriel prided himself on was his instincts. Heck, a talk show host had to have them to get anywhere in life. Over the years he had become rather an expert at prying information from reluctant people and getting to the bottom of things. It was a lucky day for the world that he had become a daytime television personality instead of a reporter; Washington would have been in serious trouble if he'd majored in journalism. Right now though, his instincts were screaming that there was more than met the eye to Dean and Cas.

Dean had done a very convincing 'deer in the headlights' impersonation when he first saw Cas. It was so good in fact, that Gabriel was convinced that it had been something more than just confusion over the inclusion of a male contestant. He actually looked like he recognized Cas. Things were about to get juicy if the two of them already had a history! He would make sure of it.

He shook his head; Cas sure was a sly dog. How he'd managed to pull one over on him, he'd never know. Before he could commence with the mischief making though, a barely-there bikini and a pair of impossibly tall heels distracted him.

"Well, hello there," a sexy voice whispered in his ear and a set of nails ran lightly down his chest. "I've been looking for you all night."

Gabriel cleared his throat, counted to ten and tried to remember he was in a Speedo. "It's Bella, right? Bella Talbot."

"Mmmm. Good memory." She didn't remove her hands.

Even picturing Castiel in a bathing suit wasn't helping. Gabriel stepped back hurriedly before things got out of control. "So, ahhh, what was it you wanted to talk about exactly? My good looks? Stunning personality maybe?"

"You're funny."

"It's been said before. By me. A lot."

Bella ignored him and sidled closer. "I just wanted to let you know that even though I'm here to win Dean's heart," she glanced over to where Dean was laughing at something a pretty redhead said, "I like you. Provided I'm still around next week I think we could…have some fun together."

"Well I don't really have a say in that. It's Winchester's choice."

"Don't you though? You're here to make us look good, right? It wouldn't be so very hard to make sure I looked good—I mean, I've already done half the work with the swimsuit here. You could just make sure Dean noticed." She ran a hand over his biceps, mouth brushing tantalizingly close to his ear.

Gabriel might have passed out for a second before it occurred to him what she was saying. "Wait a minute…is this some sort of bribe?" He laughed. "You're bribing me! A woman after my own heart! I mean, I know my Speedo is a mouthwatering piece of art, but I'm not here to get it on with contestants!"

Bella's expression morphed from seductive to livid in an instant. "Don't cross me, Gabriel Novak," she said icily. "I don't think you remember the type of family I come from. I always get what I want."

He did remember. Bella was a Talbot, of _the_ Talbots, one of the oldest and wealthiest families residing in the US. It was rumored the family originally made its fortune in the slave trade. With wealth like that though, she was everything a family like the Winchesters would be looking to align with.

Gabriel smirked. "Oh, honey, you don't scare me. Only vampires, mummies and the Holy Ghost do that," he said in true Jimmy Buffet style and left Bella staring furiously after him.

* * *

><p>The evening continued with the usual antics that had been pulled in previous seasons. A girl named Ruby "lost" her swimsuit in the pool and another girl named Lilith had too much to drink. Girls hung all over Dean's arm and the man laughed a little too loudly and a little too often for Gabriel to believe he was actually enjoying himself.<p>

A cry of "Ratings! Ratings! Ratings!" poured through his mind. It was time to pull out all the stops. Gabriel grinned naughtily as he spotted his younger brother skulking around the punch bowl. He wasn't called the Trickster for nothing. (Okay, he wasn't actually called that, but if he had a super-villain alias that would totally be it.)

"Excuse me, ladies," he said slyly and extracted Dean from underneath the pack.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Dean demanded as Gabriel pulled him across the floor.

"Dean, meet Castiel. Castiel, Dean," he said and practically threw Dean into his younger brother. Castiel jumped back in surprise and Dean blushed as he collected himself.

Castiel didn't say anything though. He eyed Dean warily. Dean stuck his hand out awkwardly. "Castiel, huh? What sort of name is…"

"It's an angel's name," Castiel mumbled in his gravelly voice before Dean could finish. "The angel of Thursday."

"I like it."

Castiel's brows furrowed, like he couldn't figure out what to make of Dean. That was when the pieces all started fitting together for Gabriel.

"Oh wait. Dean. As in the Dean from the club? That Dean? This is just too good! This is better than even I could have come up with!" He danced a little on his tiptoes. "You're not serious! What are the chances?"

If Castiel's bitch-face could kill, Gabriel would have been a Kentucky-Fried-Named-After-An-Archangel by now. He stuffed a fist in his mouth to repress the giggles.

Dean just looked slightly repulsed. "Dude, this is your brother? Really? Can I be the first to offer my condolences?"

Castiel seemed to relax marginally. "Sorry, but you wouldn't be the first. Gabriel, you can leave now. Right now."

Hey, Gabriel knew he could be an annoying twerp, but he could also take a hint. "Sure, sure. I bet you two have a lot to catch up on," he said with a wink.

* * *

><p>Dean grabbed Castiel's arm and dragged him out to the balcony, away from the cameras. Mist rose from the giant hot tub that stretched along the side of the house and oversize heaters were set above the deck area.<p>

He blurted out before he could stop himself, "Did you know who I was that night?"

Castiel looked offended. "Of course not. Did I strike you as the kind of person who would just attach himself to anyone with the least bit of fame? And you sat by me, by the way."

This wasn't how he'd pictured meeting Castiel again. He wanted to have a friendly conversation, say something funny and watch Cas's eyes crinkle as he laughed, but he wanted answers more. "How are you even here? I wasn't supposed to see you again."

"Well you won't have to see me after tonight. I wasn't supposed to be here anyway, I just did it as a favor to Gabriel."

"What do you mean I won't see you after tonight?" The thought made him a little panicked strangely. He realized suddenly that he was still clutching Castiel's arm.

"I'm supposed to be filming this," Cas gestured around him, "not participating in the madness. What about you? Why are you doing this?"

Dean looked away. "It's complicated."

Castiel waited to see if Dean would continue. "Well then, you better get rid of me tonight before someone finds out you're not quite as straight as the proverbial arrow you've been compared to. I overheard you talking with the producer; it's okay, I won't hold it against you," Castiel said resignedly, like he had expected nothing more and shook off Dean's hold.

He left Dean standing on the balcony with a guilty expression on his face.

* * *

><p>Sarah found him sitting dejectedly in one of the antechambers. "Hey, you okay?"<p>

"I'm not very good at this."

She sighed. "Me neither, I haven't even met Dean yet. I've just smiled a ridiculous amount and probably scared him with how big my teeth are. I saw _you_ go off with him though!"

Castiel really didn't want to talk about it. It would have been preferable to live with memory of Dean than to have to meet the reality. He glanced around, searching for a topic, and his eyes landed on the grand piano that sat in the middle of the room.

"Do you sing?"

Her eyes lit up. "Well, if I said yes, that might make me sound a little cocky. But yes, I like to sing."

Castiel walked over to the piano and ran his fingers over the smooth keys. It felt like coming home.

"I would ask if you know any Rossini arias, but do you like Creedence Clearwater Revival?"

She rolled her eyes. "I never would have pegged you for a classic rock fan. You just look so…so…"

"Classical?" he supplied.

"Since I'm a little rusty on my Italian operas, CCR it is."

His fingers hovered over the keys in anticipation. In the next instant, they crashed down onto the piano in a bluesy riff.

Castiel was a different person when he played. His shoulders relaxed as his fingers flew effortlessly across the keyboard and his foot tapped an energetic beat. His head nodded along with the tempo as he improvised, inserting elaborate licks above the main chord progression.

Sarah entered with the lyrics to _Fortunate Son_ and Castiel was pleased to discover she could really belt; her voice even adopted a gravelly quality.

_It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son_

_It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no fortunate one, no_

He failed to notice as an audience filled the chamber. It was always just him and the beat when he played, moving through space and time in that peculiar way only music can accomplish.

He swiped his right hand up the keyboard to end the piece and glanced up, self-conscious, to a roar of applause. Sarah smiled graciously, but Castiel only had eyes for the man who stood alone in the corner, slightly in the shadow. Dean had heard him play.

He cursed the crazy jolt of energy that sizzled through him as he made eye contact. He couldn't read the expression on Dean's face though. His eyes seemed to flick through a hundred emotions before a light finally twinkled in them. He approached Castiel at the piano while Sarah was swarmed with admiring fans.

"CCR huh?"

"It's classic."

"I get the feeling you're a classic kind of guy."

Dean paused, searching for the right words. "Look, about out there, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sure you'll find this out soon enough but I don't have a filter. That's why I usually need Sam here to cover for me." He smiled self-deprecatingly. "I don't regret it, just so you know. That was the best dance of my life."

Castiel cleared his throat. He wasn't sure what Dean was trying to say.

Dean looked like he wanted to continue, but a girl in a barely-there bikini (Bella was her name?) slid her arm through his and pulled him back toward the main room. Looking over his shoulder, he said instead, "I guess I'll see you at the elimination, Cas." And just like that, he was out the door.

* * *

><p>Castiel stood with the other contestants, waiting to see who would receive Dean's first rose. Unsurprisingly, Bella stepped up to take it.<p>

He kind of zoned out after Sarah received her rose and the pool continued to dwindle. His mind turned to a film project he had been contemplating for a couple of weeks as he waited for the inevitable rejection. Consequently, he totally missed the first two times Gabriel said his name.

"Castiel! Get your butt over here," his brother yelled.

Castiel glanced around in confusion, only to find Dean Winchester, with an ironic smile on his face, holding a rose his direction.

Gabriel had to call his name another two times before he remembered how his feet worked.

Dean didn't kiss him on the cheek like had the previous contestants, but he pulled him into a quick hug this time. "Like I said, no regrets," he whispered lowly into Cas's ear. Castiel shivered despite himself.

Dean pulled away to face the other two girls who hadn't made the cut. "Sorry ladies, but I never really got a chance to talk with you." One of the girls glared at Castiel like that had been his fault somehow. "I wish you the best of…ahh," he glanced at Gabriel, who was mouthing the words he was supposed to say, "…luck in all your future endeavors and…stuff," he ended eloquently.

The camera's red light stopped flashing and, with a cry, Gabriel, still in his Speedo, immediately booked it to the editing room to make sure all his best moments had been captured.

Castiel stated, "That wasn't how it was supposed to go."

Dean shrugged. "To hell with the script. Sometimes I should get a say in my own life."

If Castiel wasn't careful, Dean Winchester was going to be the death of him.


	6. Chapter 6

**As always, if you enjoy what you read, I would love to hear about it! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural but if I did, there would definitely be more unicorns with rainbows coming out their asses included.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Castiel was at the piano again but this time Dean sat beside him, his presence buzzing like an electrical current to his immediate left. His hands faltered in their perfect melody when a warm arm slid around his waist. They forgot what they were doing entirely when Dean's stubble grazed his neck.

Castiel focused on breathing. Dean pulled back and fixed him with a confident stare, like he knew the effect he was creating. So slowly, he could almost count the seconds as they ticked by, Dean hands drifted to his waist and then lower. Castiel gasped involuntarily when they cupped his ass.

Suddenly those hands were lifting him up and slamming him onto the piano in a satisfying crunch of notes. Faster than he could think, Dean stood between his open legs, bending him back over the instrument. He was warm and everywhere, hands flying over his throat, neck and chest. A hand worked his way under his shirt and he moaned at the contact.

"More," he croaked. "Need more."

Dean responded enthusiastically. Suddenly he was shirtless and grinding his hips into Castiel. A strange dissonant melody rose from the keys as their bodies rocked up and down. Castiel felt one of Dean's hands drift lower and heard the sound of a zipper being undone.

He sat up in bed, gasping for air. _It was a dream, just a dream, _he chanted to calm himself down and looked over at the clock. 5:15am. He groaned and ran his fingers through sweaty hair. He lay back down, aching and uncomfortable. Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>There was a new face present when he showed up at the breakfast table hours later. A long oak table sat facing a row of tall windows that looked out onto the snowy forest. During the night, snow drifts had piled up by the side of the house and were stacked almost as high as Castiel's waist.<p>

His heart skipped a beat when he saw Dean and heat pooled low in Castiel's stomach as memories from the previous night flooded his mind. Sitting next to Dean though was another, younger looking man with a mop of chocolate brown hair that fell haphazardly into his eyes.

Dean stood up and the room fell silent. "I want you all to meet my little brother, Sammy."

Sam glared up at Dean familiarly like was continuing a long-standing argument. "It's Sam. Just Sam. And you can't call me little, Dean, when I could squash you just by sitting on you." He stood, revealing he was probably three or so inches taller than his older brother.

"Bitch," Dean replied good-naturedly.

"Jerk," came the automatic response. Castiel couldn't help but smile.

"Anyway," Dean continued, gesturing fondly to his brother, "Sam's one of the most important people in my life and any person I end up with is going to be spending a lot of time with him. So, I figure you all might as well start now."

A multitude of chairs scraped across the wooden floor as the group rushed to meet Sam. Bela was naturally the first one there, followed by a girl he recognized as Ruby. Sam looked fairly bewildered at all the attention.

"Man, that kid couldn't get more action if he were a wounded puppy." Dean had somehow approached without Castiel realizing and stood slightly behind him, invading his personal space. "Good sleep, Cas?"

Damn it. It was like the man knew. "It was adequate, thank you."

Dean huffed. "You're a weird one, you know that? It's just the way you say things sometimes…but I like it," he inserted before Castiel could take offense. "Isn't that the shirt you wore last night?"

"As of right now, it's my only one. I wasn't expecting to be around for breakfast."

"Well, I could say I'm sorry, but I'm not. It's good to have another dude around." He looked over at Lilith, who was repainting her fingernails at the table. "I don't get women."

Castiel wasn't sure if that was the answer he'd been hoping for, all things considered. He glanced at the women flocking around Sam. Surprisingly, Sarah was right in the thick of things. She hadn't been much of a groupie last night; it was odd to see her with a goofy grin plastered across her face.

Dean followed Castiel's stare. "It's nice to see him smiling for once. It's been a rough couple of years," he said, alluding to Sam's addiction and time in rehab.

"I'm sorry."

Dean rubbed one hand around the back of his neck. "Sam used to be so full of energy—he was dating this girl, Jessica, and studying law at Stanford. I didn't think my dad could be any prouder. Then, out of the blue, there was a fire in Sam and Jess's apartment building, and, well, Jess didn't make it. Sam was devastated and things just went downhill from there."

He paused, lost in reflection. "Sorry, Cas. You probably didn't want to know all that. I don't normally talk about it."

"My mother died giving birth to me. My father didn't stick around long after that and the only real parents I've ever known have been my older brothers. I understand what it feels like to lose people." A strong hand clasped his shoulder and he looked up into Dean's bright gaze.

"Life sucks sometimes, huh?"

Cas nodded. "Yes. It was a long time ago though, for me."

Dean squeezed his shoulder once more and then spoke as something else occurred to him. "Wait—you mean there's other Gabriels running around somewhere out there? Is that safe?"

Castiel moved to grab a plate from the breakfast bar and began loading scrambled eggs on it. He contemplated Dean. "Is it safe for Gabriel to being running around here?" he asked rhetorically.

"Touché."

* * *

><p>Gabriel swept into the dining hall wearing a black <em>"Yes, baby, it hurt when I fell from heaven!" <em>shirt to steal Dean away. Dean looked like he wanted to protest but Gabriel put a hand over his mouth.

"Nope, you don't get a say in this, Dean-o. It's time for the first challenge and for you to disappear." Dean's eyes drifted to where Sam still stood. "Oh, I didn't tell you? Sam's introducing the first task."

Sam shrugged. "Guilty as charged I'm afraid."

"Okay ladies, Cas, say goodbye to Dreamboat here."

Cas rolled his eyes, Lilith blew a wet kiss and a girl named Meg held up her hand in a heart shape.

As soon as the pair of them had left, Sam stretched and cracked his knuckles. "Right. Time to tell you about the first challenge then."

The remaining contestants were an interesting group. Cas tried to look at them objectively. The biggest contender was obviously Bela Talbot; rich and beautiful, she could have anyone she wanted. Gabriel had supplied some information on each girl late last evening and from the sound of it, Dean's father had specifically requested her.

There was also Ruby and Lilith, two sisters and from what he could tell, queen gossips. Another girl with short white-blonde hair named Meg trailed behind them, obviously looking to be included in their group.

Anna was the only redhead in the room and moved quite gracefully; Gabriel mentioned she had been a professional dancer. Finally, three girls he had yet to meet, Jo, Rachel and Cassie sat quietly at the table finishing their grapefruit halves. Sarah sat nearby, still looking at Sam like he was the most interesting person she'd ever met.

And then there was him. Forced into the spotlight, onto a program he had no interest in. Or tried to convince himself he had no interest in. Whenever Dean was around, his traitorous body seemed to think the exact opposite.

It would still be better to be eliminated as quickly as possible though he concluded; he wasn't really sure why Dean had kept him in the first place. Dean would go home with one of these girls and live a very normal happily-ever-after. There was no chance at all that his family would ever approve of a blue-eyed, trench coat-wearing cameraman with only the wrong sort of connections.

If Dean wanted to attend a low budget film festival, Castiel was the guy to see. If he wanted to go into the family business and run for office someday...Castiel didn't live on the kind of planet where people did things like that.

Sam spoke again and Castiel was jolted from his reverie. "So I'm just going put it out there…Dean loves to eat. A lot. Not gonna lie, the amount he can eat in a single day is fairly disgusting." He flashed a smirk at the camera like he knew Dean would be watching it later.

"That's where you all come in. If Dean's going to be with anybody, he needs to be with someone who can cook. So the challenge today is actually pretty simple; each of you will be cooking a meal for Dean. If he likes yours the best, you win."

Ruby ran her fingertips over the back of Sam's hand. "And what's the prize, handsome?"

Sam looked vaguely uncomfortable. "A date with Dean." All heads snapped to attention at that.

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><p>Castiel stared in frustration at the other dishes. He couldn't cook. He ate cereal, toast and orange juice for nearly every meal of the day.<p>

Anna had created an elaborate French breakfast from her homeland, composed of delicate looking pastries. Jo had made a vegetarian casserole from a recipe her grandmother had handed down. Even Sarah had whipped up a thick beef stew and homemade rolls.

Bela had refused to cook, citing that she paid people to do things like that for her. She wasn't worried about her chances with Dean. She said something to the effect that Dean would have to be a one-of-a-kind moron to eliminate her and sat at the counter, reading a fashion magazine instead.

Even without Bela, it was still fairly hopeless. Not that Castiel wanted to win or anything. _Screw it_, he thought and rummaged around in the freezer. He'd cook what he always cooked when his brothers came over. He fired up the grill—he might be the only one who ate it, but at least _he'd_ enjoy it.

* * *

><p>With no small satisfaction, Dean surveyed a table covered in different meals. Ahh, Sam really knew how to pick a challenge.<p>

He paused over what looked like a green casserole. "Not even gonna try that. Too healthy. Pass." Sam looked fairly appalled with him, but so what? _He_ could eat it if he wanted.

The French pastries were next. "Delicious, but not really what I'm all about."

The lasagna was okay, someone's egg dish was a little runny and the beef stew gave him pause. "Not terrible," he commented.

The last dish caught his full attention. "Yeah, this is a no brainer. I don't even need to taste this to call it a winner." He bit into the juicy bacon-cheeseburger anyway. "I love you, baby," he told it.

Dean looked up at Sam, a little burger juice running down his chin. "So who's my date with, Sammy?"

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><p><strong>Note: An anonymous review informed me that there is another "Bachelor" themed story on the site. I would just like to say that it has never been my intention to copy anyone else's idea. I started writing this about a month ago when my cousins forced me to watch a Bachelor marathon. It popped into my head and I just started writing. <strong>

**To be fair, I looked up the word "Bachelor" on the site's search engine and lots of other stories, in varying fandoms, cropped up. As much as I would love to be original, I am definitely not the first person to use this sort of idea! **

**I was unable to find the story the anonymous reviewer referred to, but I would just like to apologize to the author and reiterate that I really had no idea. But I have to say, we must both be awesome people to think so much alike! Good taste = Good taste:) **

**Again, thanks for reading the story and it's so excited to be publishing it! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay! So here's the big date! The love you people left with the last chapter was amazing and all your reviews just encouraged me to write faster! So, as always, if you like what you read, I would love love love to hear about it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, it's sort of the other way around:)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

Dean looked uncomfortable and fidgeted in his corduroy green shirt. "Dude, they set us up on a chick date. This is somehow your brother's fault."

Castiel looked around the restaurant at the millions of sequined hearts that adorned the rafters, the windows and the banisters. Bouquets of roses sat on piles of glittering red and pink confetti and laced doilies occupied the spaces under patron's drinks.

Castiel could hardly believe the chances of Dean choosing his burger amid all the other exotic and carefully prepared foods and laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.

"Is it not close to Valentine's day? This would be expected at most places. Although I am relived to discover you do not harbor any fondness for confetti hearts."

"Of course not. This is just the stuff you put up with if you're trying to impress a girl."

"I wouldn't know about that," Castiel said shortly.

"Oh. Right."

Dean still couldn't seem to relax. He readjusted his seat every few moments and swirled his glass of ice water, saying nothing. It was going to be a long and painful night if things continued this way.

A waitress with a long blonde ponytail approached to cheerfully inquire about their order. "And what will you be having to drink, sirs?"

Dean sifted through the menu, eyes flashing through all the different colored sweet drinks whose names he probably couldn't pronounce. Castiel would clearly have to take matters into his own hands.

"A beer. Darkest one you've got please."

Dean looked up at him as if those were the most wonderful words he'd ever heard. "Uh, yeah. Me too on the beer."

So they sat back, slouched in their seats and enjoyed their manly beers amid the sparkling decorations.

Castiel found it easy to talk with Dean once he loosened up. He tried to pay attention to the conversation but caught himself frequently watching the spattering of freckles across his cheeks or staring intently at his lips as they moved. He couldn't tell if it was wishful thinking, but it almost seemed like Dean had the same problem—every once in a while he would pause, staring at Cas like he had lost his train of thought.

Time flew by and the check was paid before Castiel was ready to say goodnight. They stepped out of the restaurant into the packed snow and Dean started fidgeting again.

"So, ahh, there's a second part to the date. It's pretty girly too; you don't have to come if you'd rather not." His breath billowed in foggy tendrils as he spoke.

"Just spit it out, Dean."

"Doyouliketoiceskate?" Dean rushed all at once. He shook his head. "What I meant to say was, do you ice skate?"

"Quite excellently."

"That didn't even phase you, did it? Ice skating," he said again as if to confirm Castiel wouldn't run screaming in the other direction.

"You forget that Gabriel is my brother."

"I don't even want to know what actually phases you then."

"Probably not."

A limo drove them to a small lake on private land that had frozen over for the winter. Lanterns hung from the trees and two pairs of ice skates sat on a worn down bleacher. Snow fell slowly in individual flakes.

Thankfully, Gabriel had come through and secured a winter jacket, gloves and hat for Castiel that evening. Still though, his feet were instantly cold as he stripped out of his lined boots and slipped into the ice skates.

He almost tripped over himself getting to the ice and would have fallen if a strong pair of arms hadn't caught him. Dean's face was only inches away and he could have counted his freckles if he had concentrated. The green eyes crinkled at the corners and a gloved hand reached up to brush his cheek; Castiel couldn't help it, he closed his eyes at the sensation.

"You have snow in your eyelashes."

"You have snow in _your_ eyelashes."

Dean laughed and propped him up. "Okay, so let's do this stupid figure skating thing."

Castiel's gaze landed on a rectangular box that sat by the lakeside. It had been left unlocked. "How do you feel about ice hockey instead?"

"How do you feel about losing?" he quipped, following Castiel's gaze.

Dean tore into the storage box and came back with a pair of sticks and a puck. They skated to the center of the ice and Dean held the puck overhead, prepared to drop it.

Castiel looked him dead in the eye. "Just so you are aware, I have no intention of losing."

"Hells yeah! It's on then! Best date ever!" Suddenly the date was a competition.

Where Dean was enthusiastic and reckless in his game, Castiel was calculating and precise. And while Dean unarguably scored the more interesting and unlikely goals, the score was still tied by the time they stopped, both panting and trying to catch their breath.

"Okay, wow, that really took it out of me." Dean rested both hands on his knees as he tried to recover.

"Are you saying you need a break?"

"Yeah, just to…catch my breath," he wheezed.

"Hmmm. I shall be interested to see how you prevent me from scoring while on your 'break'," Castiel said mischievously and stole the puck from where it sat by Dean's skates.

With a groan, Dean was once more in pursuit as Castiel sailed down the ice. Castiel raised his stick to score the winning shot and BAM! He found himself laying face first on the ice, a large body on top of him.

He groaned and rolled over underneath Dean. Dean made no move to get up and grinned down from where he rested on the smaller man's chest.

"I'd call that some awesome prevention. Tell me I'm awesome."

"It's called cheating you idiot. You're a big fat cheater."

"A big fat _awesome _cheater."

"Fine. You are more than proficient at cheating." Castiel didn't want to get up now. It was actually sort of comfortable on the ice; he was warm from the exercise and could barely feel the chill through all the layers.

Dean moved over to lie beside him and they both looked up into the night sky. Castiel wondered if he realized the backs of their hands were touching.

"This didn't suck as much as I thought it would."

"Should I feel complimented?"

"Nah, I meant the activities, not you. I'm gonna have to do this on every date."

Castiel was silent and Dean seemed to realize what he'd said. He glanced over to where the solitary cameraman sat shivering on the bleachers and turned on his side so that all the camera would see as he addressed Castiel was his back.

"Cas, you don't have to answer this, but how did you know you were gay? Did it just hit you, or have you always been that way?"

Castiel took a moment to answer. "I don't know. I was never really interested in _anyone _growing up. It never occurred to me that I was gay until I met this guy in college. Gabriel's called me a prude on several occasions, but I rarely date. Is it so bad to want someone special instead of just someone?"

"No. No, it isn't."

"What about you?" Castiel asked, trying in vain to sound nonchalant.

"Lately, I don't know anymore. I still like girls and I've always liked girls. But I like you too. Is that insane?"

"Maybe you just like the people you like. Maybe it doesn't matter. I like classical but I also like rock and roll."

"That's a terrible metaphor."

"Yes," Castiel agreed.

"You don't understand the kind of pressure I'm under," Dean began after a moment. "My dad's famous and everywhere I go, people know who I am. He expects me to be this…someone. Someone important. He's always told me how I should live and what I should like and now, after all these years, I'm not even sure what I actually want anymore. It's all confused."

"That does sound like a terrible burden."

"He wants me to marry a respectable, wealthy woman. I'm supposed to have 2.5 kids, a white picket fence and follow in the family business. Sam's already trashed the 'family reputation' so I'm expected to be the good son and pick up the pieces. I wish I was Sam sometimes."

Castiel didn't know what to say. Instead he wrapped his hand around Dean's and laced their fingers together as they lay on the ice.

He had a feeling, for better or worse, he had passed the point of no return when Dean Winchester failed to eliminate him once again the following night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello all you lovely readers! Doesn't seem like forever until the next Supernatural episode? Your reviews from the last chapter were lovely and each and every one brought a Sam-sized smile (which is huge considering the man's a giant!) to my face.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Supernatural (which I do not) there would be more angels dressed in trench coats. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Castiel was jerked from sleep by an insistent rapping at his door. He slid out of bed, stomach instantly doing flip-flops and slowly twisted the handle. He was severely disappointed when a wave of messy dirty-blonde hair and a pair of pursed lips greeted him.

"Oh, Castiel! Kiss me!" Gabriel grinned like he knew Castiel had hoped the knocking belonged to someone else.

"You are not doing this to me at 2:00am." Castiel almost succeeded in shutting the door in Gabriel's face but a well-placed foot stopped him.

"No, c'mon, Cas, don't be like that," Gabriel whined and tried to slide into the room.

"Don't you ever come down from your sugar high and sleep?" he grumbled and begrudgingly let his brother inside.

Gabriel ignored him, sprinted toward the bed and pounced.

"Jeez, Cassie, how come you all get the bouncy beds?" he cried and the bed springs screeched with his efforts.

"How come you're wearing a onesie?" Castiel shot back and spat the word from his mouth as if he had said something distasteful.

Gabriel flashed him a seductive smile from where he lay sprawled on the bed. "You know you want me." He wiggled his pajama-clad toes.

Castiel heaved a world-weary sigh and flopped down next to Gabriel. "Yet again, you can't say stuff like that to family. There are these things called boundaries, remember?"

Gabriel moved his head over to snuggle on top of Castiel's stomach. "Speaking of boundaries, little brother, why are you still here? Not that I don't love all the drama your nonexistent personal skills inspire, but I fully expected you to book it after that first night."

"I haven't been eliminated yet."

"So what? Now you care about the stupid rules of a dating game show? That's not like you." He paused before adding, "I saw your date with Dean; they're editing it right now."

Castiel squirmed uncomfortably and thought of the possible footage. Surely any future viewer would be able read him like a book. It was painfully obvious he liked Dean. He felt sick as he imagined his sappy puppy love playing over national television and felt even worse when he pictured Dean watching it and seeing how pathetically he had fallen for him.

"You should move. I'm going to be sick."

"No, you're not," Gabriel patted his thigh reassuringly. "Just take deep breaths."

He spent a long time working on inhaling and exhaling. "Was it bad?" he asked after a moment, referring to the footage Gabriel had seen.

"Let's just say I haven't seen you look at anything that way since you discovered White Castle cheeseburgers."

Castiel groaned. It was bad then.

"Like I said, it's not that I don't love all the drama, but I need to be your responsible older brother for just a second and ask you what the hell is going on. So spill, Cas."

Castiel knew Gabriel was trying to help in his own way, but it was hard to take him seriously in a purple onesie with hearts all over it.

"It was an accident. I didn't mean to like him or even think about him beyond that one night at the club. Dean infuriates me, annoys me, burns hot and cold, but I can't seem to stop wondering how many freckles he's got on his stupid face."

"If I told you, do you think you could forget about him? One-hundred and thirty-seven," he stated confidently and looked up to see if Castiel was smiling at his joke. Castiel's frown only deepened.

"No, I'm almost sure I have only counted forty-three."

"Ugggg, God, Cassie, you've got it bad." Gabriel sat up so he could look his brother straight in the eye.

"Look, I just want to make sure you know what you're getting into. I've read scripts like this; I know how they end and they never end with the love interest suddenly deciding he's gay or bi or whatever and running off with the broke and quietly brooding cameraman."

Gabriel paused. "Dean will do what's expected of him. This kid has no track record of ever veering off the path laid out for him by Daddy. You'd have better luck trying to get it on with Sam."

And yet Dean had kept him through two eliminations.

Gabriel looked like he knew what Castiel was thinking. "It won't last forever, Cas. Wouldn't it be better to leave now and keep whatever self-esteem you possess still intact?"

Castiel didn't say anything and Gabriel looked at him with something like pity. "If this is really what you want Cas, I'll be supportive. Actually, what I meant to say is that I'll keep ridiculing you on national television, but in moments like these I'll be supportive."

Castiel rolled over into his pillow. "No, it's not what I want. I can't seem to make myself stop though," he said in a muffled voice.

His brother patted his shoulder sympathetically. "It's like eating M&Ms. Before you know it, you've bought the entire section of the grocery store."

"Still pretty sure that's just you, Gabe."

They both jumped when there was a new knock on the door.

"It's probably Sarah—you jumped on my bed so many times she's here to see if I'm cheating on Dean and having extremely athletic sex."

"And what are you going to tell her?" Gabriel waggled his eyebrows devilishly and adopted a compromising position on the bed.

"Shut-up, Gabriel." He crossed the room and turned the door handle. Instead of a sleepy bed-headed version of Sarah though, a pair of green eyes peered into the room.

Castiel cringed inside as Dean took one look at Gabriel and backed up.

"Umm…sorry…bad timing I guess…I don't want to interrupt," he said hurriedly, cheeks flushed. He started walking away.

"Wait!" Castiel called and let the door slam behind him. Dean turned around, eyes cast down at the floor. "You don't have to go—Gabriel's just an ass. He has selective hearing when it comes to the issue of personal boundaries."

Dean laughed a little too quickly but looked relieved. "Right. Totally knew that. I just didn't want to interrupt…brotherly bonding or whatever."

"No, please feel free to interrupt that any time. I would pay you to interrupt that."

Dean smiled and relaxed a little bit. He didn't say anything else though.

"Dean, did you need something?"

"Oh, yeah. I just wanted to umm check and see if everything was all right. I haven't really seen you since the date-thing and I wanted to check that you weren't, you know, cold or something," he said evasively.

Castiel almost smiled at the poor excuse but maintained a serious expression. He stepped right into Dean's personal space and watched as the man swallowed nervously. The heat from Dean's body radiated across the couple inches that stood between them. "I am not cold any more, but thank you for thinking to check at 2:00am."

"Right. Well everyone knows that 2:00am is the coldest time of day. Yep…"

Suddenly, Castiel didn't care about the video footage. He didn't care what anyone else thought. He took the advice Gabriel always gave him and did something unplanned and spontaneous for once in his life.

Adrenaline pumping, Castiel closed the gap between them and slid his arms around Dean's neck. He looked straight up into Dean's shocked expression and let his fingers card through his short brown hair.

"If Gabriel had interrupted us thirty seconds later that night, we would have done this." He stood on his tiptoes and before he could overthink it, pressed his lips to the other man's.

The kiss wasn't long and it wasn't deep, but it hardly seemed to matter to Castiel. Warmth flooded every part of his body and the ends of his fingertips tingled. Dean's lips were soft and it felt perfectly natural to lean in a little closer and push against him a little harder. His shoulders were wide against Castiel's lean frame and he felt like a puzzle piece finally sliding into place.

He pulled away after a moment, not letting himself wonder if Dean had kissed back. Dean's eyes were still closed and, for an instant, Castiel wondered what would happen if he kissed him again.

However, before he could act, Dean's eyes fluttered open and Castiel watched his expression change as his brain came back online and he realized what had happened.

"What was that?"

"I believe I already informed you of what it was before I did it."

"What the hell, Cas? You can't just go around kissing people! I can't be kissing you." Dean was freaking.

"Then what were you really doing in this hallway, at my door?"

"I'm not…I didn't ask for this…"

"Answer the question, Dean."

He could see Dean's panic fade and his resolve harden. He tried to brace himself.

"I was looking for Bela—she's not in her room. I wanted Bela. I want Bela."

It was a lie. Castiel knew it was a lie. It didn't mean that it hurt any less to hear Dean reject him. Gabriel was right; he would only end up with heartbreak if he stuck around to see what happened with Dean Winchester.

"I suppose I should thank you then, Dean, for helping me decide whether I want to still be here. Have a nice life and enjoy your picket fence," he said stiffly.

He walked quickly away before Dean could see how desperately he was trying to hold himself together, back to his room, leaving Dean alone in the hallway. In the process of opening the door, he tripped over Gabriel, who must have had one ear pressed against it. Thankfully his brother didn't try to pretend like he hadn't heard what happened.

"Cas—I'm sorry." He pulled Castiel into a fierce hug and it was one of the few times Castiel didn't protest.

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><p>From the other end of the hall, a calculating pair of eyes witnessed Dean and Castiel's embrace. Carefully concealed in the shadow provided by a heavy set of curtains, neither man noticed the observer, nor was able to see the camera she held as they kissed. And, like a specter, the shadow slipped away into the quiet house as quickly as she had come.<p>

Crimson nails scrolled through the contacts on her phone and hovered over a number labeled "For Emergencies". After a moment of indecision, they slammed into the call button.

A couple rings later, a hoarse voice crackled over the speaker. "This had better be good. Do you realize what time it is? Who is this?"

The woman cleared her throat. "It's Bela, Bela Talbot. You said to call in an emergency and I have a photo you might be very, very interested in."

"Send it."

There was a pause on the other end as the speaker looked at the photo. "That isn't Dean," the voice croaked.

"Yes, I assure you it is. I know you wanted to wait a while longer, but I think it's time you came home, Senator."

"Never use my name, Bela. I believe I told you that when I gave you this number."

"My apologies. But really, what the hell am I supposed to work with when Dean pulls this sort of stunt? The low-cut dresses won't do much good if your son is batting for the other team."

The voice went cold and toneless. "If you really wish to be a part of this family, you will refrain from talking about Dean in that manner. This photo is a mistake, that's all. You will keep this quiet, do you understand? I won't have this floating around the show."

"Yes, sir." The Winchesters were too rich to risk jeopardizing her place by Dean's side over a photograph.

"Unfortunately, I have a meeting that cannot be rescheduled. I will take the first flight out of Washington after that. Bela, this conversation never happened and I trust you will remember that when I arrive."

"I understand. Looking forward to your visit, sir."


	9. Chapter 9

**So here's an extra long chapter for you guys! **

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

Castiel woke with the intention of packing. Gabriel had slipped out some time during the night, leaving a dwarf-sized indentation in the mattress and a nest of pillows cocooned around where he had fallen asleep.

No sooner had he slid out of bed though than Sarah burst through the door of the adjoining bathroom.

"Cas, Cas, Cas! You gotta get up!"

"I am up. Standing is up." He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and tried to focus on her vibrating frame. She ran around the room, grabbing a pair of discarded jeans and a flannel shirt from where Castiel had tossed them.

"They're going to leave us behind!"

"Who is? What are you talking about?" He slowly peeled off the threadbare Led Zeppelin t-shirt he slept in and shrugged into the flannel. Sarah clicked her tongue and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Everyone! Bela asked Dean to take them all on a tour of the grounds today. Sam's the only reason I found out! The others weren't going to invite us!"

"Do we want to be invited on something like that? Why _weren't_ we invited on something like that?" He told himself that he could care less what Bela and Dean were getting up to at the moment.

Sarah looked uncomfortable. "You don't seem like someone who has much of a social radar so I guess I have to tell you: You're not exactly a favorite among the other women." She raised an eyebrow like she was hoping he'd intrinsically deduce what she was trying to say.

"You mean they don't like me?"

"Uggg, Cas, it's not that. It's just that…well…you were supposed to be a joke, a lark for publicity's sake and now you're…not. You've passed two eliminations and we lost Cassie and Rachel the night before yesterday," she said pointedly.

"I happen to agree with them though. My involvement in this ordeal _is_ a laughing matter."

"No it's not!" She looked angry and shoved a pair of winter boots into his chest. "I think it's downright heroic that you're here showing someone like Bela that she can't always get what she wants. You can't roll over for girls like her, Cas! You just can't. You have to be willing to fight for some things in life."

Castiel didn't answer but laced up his boots a little faster, his unpacked suitcase temporarily forgotten in the closet.

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><p>They sprinted through the snow toward an old barn that sat a quarter of mile away from the mansion and paused for a moment by the warped siding to catch their breath.<p>

"Don't…want to look…like we're trying too hard," Sarah panted. Castiel just gasped for air.

Once he felt like his heart wasn't going to explode though, he motioned for them to slide inside the shadowed doorframe. They slipped, unnoticed, to the back of the group.

He wasn't sure what he had been expecting, but a barn-turned-garage and filled with cars wasn't it. Automobiles of every type stood parked side by side. Dustcovers were heaped beside the far wall as if someone had hurriedly thrown them off to display the gleaming vehicles and Dean's voice floated to them from somewhere up ahead.

"So these are mostly family cars. That douche-mobile to your left is Sam's though. Anyone who claims to like it will be dead to me." Castiel passed by a new looking Lexus SC430. Perhaps it was a bit petty, but he patted it fondly.

The group passed several more cars before Dean let out a satisfied sigh. "And this, right here, is my baby. Sorry girls, but she'll always be the leading lady in my life." His statement was greeted by a couple giggles.

"No, he's actually serious; Dean loves that car with an unhealthy, co-dependent obsession." Sam appeared from another doorway further down the line and the top of his head bobbed over the group of contestants. Castiel found Sarah suddenly straining on her tiptoes beside him.

"What?" she hissed at his incredulous look. She could claim to be here for Dean all she wanted, but he had a sneaking suspicion that a mop of disheveled hair and a pair of sideburns had caught her eye.

His attention drifted back toward the other end of the barn. From what Castiel could gather, Dean and Sam appeared to be caught up in another established argument.

"You put an ipod jack in her last year!"

"I was trying to do something nice for your birthday!"

"No, you were trying to prank me on my birthday; any brother of mine would know that an ipod jack ruins her vintage appeal."

It was fairly ridiculous, not that Castiel could talk. He and Gabriel had had epic fights over who ate the last of the jellybeans. (For the record, it was always Gabriel)

Dean must have turned to the contestants for their opinion though because a loud chorus of agreement echoed up into the rafters.

"That's not fair—they have to agree with you!"

"All's fair in love and cars, Sammy. Ladies, shall we continue the tour?" They exited out the other end of the building while Castiel and Sarah still trailed invisibly behind.

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><p>The final stop on the tour was the stable. Long and narrow, it probably housed twenty different horses and the earthy smells of leather, hay and horse had Lilith and Ruby wrinkling their noses in disgust. Bela, to her credit, did a decent job of pretending not to notice and stoically clung to Dean's arm.<p>

There were many beautiful horses, but Dean strode straight to the largest stall where a sleek black head had appeared and whickered upon seeing him. Dean marched up to the stall door and immediately had his pockets accosted for cubes of sugar.

"Impala, meet the ladies. Ladies, Impala," he said proudly, patting the horse on the side of its neck.

"Oh! What a gorgeous name! She's stunning."

"How did you ever come up with that? It's so creative!"

"I would never have thought of such a lovely name!"

Dean looked fairly pleased with himself at all the praise. For some reason, it annoyed Castiel to no end.

"So, let me get this straight; you actually named your horse after your car? Seriously, that's the best you could come up with?" The words were out before he could stop himself.

Like the Red Sea, the ocean of women parted and he could see Dean clearly for the first time. Bela, still barnacled to his side, shot daggers at him but Dean merely stared, wide-eyed, at Castiel as if he were a ghost. Castiel couldn't tell if he was embarrassed or furious.

They might have stared at each other forever, at an impasse, if a rumbling laugh hadn't broken the silence. Sam was in hysterics, a wide grin splashed across his face and one hand slapping his knee.

"Oh, God! That's exactly what I said! I told you it was a dumb name, Dean!" he roared. He walked over to slap Castiel on the back and looped a friendly arm over his shoulders. "You're too much, man."

Castiel smiled hesitantly up at Sam. Dean looked like he couldn't decide whether to ask what Castiel was doing there or punch Sam in the face. There was a long silence in which the room held its breath, waiting for Dean to make a decision.

If they had had just a few more seconds, Castiel thought Dean might have brushed the whole thing off as a joke. His eyes flicked toward his horse with a glint of amusement and he opened his mouth to speak. However, once again, they were cut short by Gabriel's ill-timed appearance.

The barn doors crashed open and Gabriel strolled through in a truly horrendous cowboy hat and boots. "Wait no longer! The party has arrived!"

"You're not the party," Castiel and Dean mumbled simultaneously. Dean threw Castiel an ironic look.

"I hate to interrupt the horse whispering or whatever going on here, but are you all ready for the next challenge?"

Sam looked confused. "What challenge?"

Dean grinned an evil smile. "That's for me to know and you to find out, Sammy."

A host of hired help suddenly appeared behind Gabriel and rapidly began assigning horses to contestants. Castiel was quickly appointed to a dark brown gelding named Cadillac (another tribute to Dean's epic inventiveness). A groom grabbed Cadillac's bridle and tack and despite Castiel's insistence that he could do it himself, hoisted him into the saddle.

At the opposite end of the barn, Sarah looked rather panicked and had been cornered by several eager grooms who gestured toward a gray mare.

"I don't do horses. It's nothing against them—it's me, so you can back off. I mean it!" She stomped her foot and raised her fists.

A pair of broad shoulders squeezed between her and the stable hands. "It's alright gentlemen, I've got this," Sam said.

Sarah crossed her arms stubbornly. "You can't make me get up there."

Sam pointed to his own horse. "What about up there?"

"Are you stupid or do you need me to repeat—"

Sam cut her off. "No, I mean with me. I'll ride with you."

Sarah froze and looked suspicious. "I'm not sure…"

"It'll be fine. Look—she's really nice." He led his tan mare over to her and Sarah's shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Okay. Just this once."

Sam grinned. "Fine, but if you end up loving it, I get to say I told you so."

Dean rolled his eyes as he passed by, already astride Impala. "Well is that it then? Everybody good to go?"

A few of the girls wavered unsteadily in the saddle and grimaced. Bela looked horrified at the thought of having to ride an animal. "What if I can't get the smell out?" she kept asking.

An indignant voice yelled from somewhere below, "Is this some kind of joke?" It took Castiel a moment to pinpoint his brother. Gabriel, fuming, was seated astride a fat Shetland pony.

"Being short sucks, huh?" Dean tried in vain to keep a straight face.

"I will get you for this, Winchester. Mark my words."

"Yeah, well, forgive me if I'm not cowering in my boots at the sight of a midget on a pony."

"An _angry_ midget on a pony."

Dean laughed and nudged Impala in the side, leading them into the snowy woods and whatever challenge waited there. For the first time, Castiel remembered his neglected suitcase, but it was too late to turn back. He consoled himself with the thought of how the contestant's carefully curled locks would get mussed in the wind and urged his horse forward.

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><p>They took a wide dirt trail into the mountains. While snow-laden boughs drooped from trees on both sides of the path, the trail itself was relatively clear. A crisp wind stung Castiel's cheeks but he relished the sensation; he'd spent entirely too much time inside as of late. Sarah had left some time ago with Sam to ride at the front of the pack next to Dean and Gabriel, but Castiel was more than content to linger behind, out of the spotlight.<p>

Sarah had been right though when she said that the other contestants were less than pleased with him. He could only assume they had made some sort of vow of silence because not one would speak with him. Trees, bushes and rocks became suddenly fascinating in Castiel's presence and at one point, Meg had actually pushed her mare into a trot rather than ride directly beside him.

Castiel almost laughed; all their efforts were pointless considering he had spent more time fighting with Dean than dating him.

Dean rode at the head of the group, leading the way, but kept casting furtive looks back at Castiel. A normal person might not have noticed the sly glances, but it was like Castiel was constantly tuned to Dean's specific frequency now and was thus hyper-aware of whatever the man did. It was beginning to feel like a curse.

He supposed all the staring was probably Dean's dysfunctional way of trying to apologize and Castiel purposefully looked away each time he felt Dean's gaze, denying him the opportunity. The man could apologize in person if he wanted.

He couldn't help sneaking an occasional glance though and caught Dean laughing at some comment Sarah had made. Castiel felt a sudden inexplicable loneliness.

He'd never felt this way before—he had been perfectly happy moving through life as a bystander. He hadn't needed companionship (apart from Gabriel's generally unwanted visits) or love. He had been a rule unto himself, distant, calculating and completely objective. And then he met Dean and everything had changed in a single smile.

Now he was just angry; a whole world had been opened to him with Dean's arrival and it had closed again just as quickly, leaving him aching and wanting more. He couldn't go back to the way he used to exist and it was entirely the fault of a pair of stupid green eyes and a mass of uncountable freckles.

He was so angry in fact, that when Dean laughed again at something that was said and threw his head back in that carefree manner that indicates absolutely everything is right in the world, Castiel urged Cadillac into a canter and pushed the horse forward.

He surged to the front of the caravan, easily flying past Dean and Impala. And, for a blessed moment, there was only open trail in sight and he could forget how Dean thought someone else was funny.

He barely had time to enjoy a relieved breath however before the sound of hooves echoed behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. Dean had sped up as well, crouched low over his horse and eyes narrowed, trying to catch up.

The remaining rational part of Castiel's brain informed him that he was probably in the midst of a social faux pas; he'd usurped Dean's spot as leader. Or maybe Dean just wanted to talk with him.

However, the irrational, rejected, and blindingly jealous part of his brain whispered that Dean should have to work for some things instead of having them handed to him on a golden platter.

Dean assumed everyone on the show was there to cater to his every whim. Well, Castiel wasn't. Cadillac's canter became a gallop.

He stole a smug look behind and raised his eyebrows. They were alone now on the trail, with no cameras to witness the other man's utter shock at not getting his way.

Castiel saw Dean's brows furrow in concentration and a spark light in his eyes as he kicked Impala's sides; the chase was on. He tried not to consider the irony that Dean was pursuing him literally instead of figuratively and urged Cadillac to a faster pace as well.

Everything on the sides blurred as Castiel focused solely on the next dip or turn in the trail. Cadillac never faltered and pumped his legs to a beat that seemed to match the way Castiel's blood pounded through his veins.

All too soon however, a speck of black flashed at the corner of his peripheral vision. Somehow, Impala's nose had crept impossibly parallel with Cadillac's streaming tail and he could hear her labored breaths in great snorts.

Dean urged her on, his cry the only sound besides the pounding hooves. Castiel could not shake the duo; they gained inches at a time, first reaching the back edge of his saddle, then his knees, and then where his hands clutched the reins.

Finally they were equal, neck in neck, flying over the ground as if they had grown wings. Castiel risked a look at Dean then and found the man staring straight back, his mouth quirked in a knowing smile. He was enjoying himself, dammit.

Castiel scowled and jerked back to the trail. The trees had thinned and it was rapidly apparent they were approaching a large clearing. Dean threw himself forward on his horse and Castiel did likewise as the clearing morphed into an invisible finish line.

Castiel was convinced it would be a tie until his 'Dean radar' detected the man's gaze once more. Dean had drawn close, leaving only inches between them. A wide smile stretched across his face as if he had been keeping a secret up till that moment.

"See ya later, Cas," was all he said as he flew by. With only a nudge, Impala shifted into an untapped gear.

Dean burst into the clearing well ahead of Castiel and turned around to smirk at him, as if daring him to admit how much he'd wanted to win that race. The effect was quite charming, Castiel thought bitterly. Dean was practically irresistible in that moment and it made Castiel sort of want to punch him a little for it.

Gabriel and the others arrived however before he could do anything more than silently fume. The host's pony teetered on shaky legs, panting heavily, and Gabriel shot them both a hell-raising glare from under the brim of his ten-gallon hat.

"So are we done with this whole 'mine is bigger than yours' thing yet? Let me know if you need some fresh snow to write your names in, boys."

Dean grinned sheepishly. Castiel said nothing.

"Cat got your tongue, Cas?"

"Gabriel, please inform Dean that my name is Castiel, not Cas."

"Oh, like that's mature! Cas, Cas, Cas," Dean sang.

Gabriel groaned. "Seriously, you two were made for each other."

Dean looked affronted and Gabriel pointed a finger his direction. "Don't even try to tell me you don't have the hots for my little bro, Dean-o."

"What? That's not—" Dean tried to say but Gabriel cut him off.

"Nope, no apologies, no groveling necessary. I give you my full permission to ravish my little brother. Go for it."

Dean sat back, red-faced, and glared at Gabriel like he was imagining all the painful things he'd like to do to him if he weren't on national television. Castiel felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. He needed to remember to buy Gabriel an extra bag of jellybeans when they got home.

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><p><strong>I love the idea of hot men riding on horses. Just makes your day better thinking about it.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow, I can't believe this story has almost a hundred reviews! I never imagined when I wrote it that anyone would read it much less leave all the love you people have shown! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I look forward to hearing what you think about this chapter!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

Gabriel gestured for Castiel to join the line of contestants that had assembled at the edge of the wood while cameras were placed around the area. He flashed a charming smile when the film started rolling and addressed the group.

"Welcome single lades…ahem…and our single man…to today's challenge! I know you are probably dying to find out why we're filming here, in the middle of nowhere, in the snow. Well, so am I. The only explanation I can offer is that Mr. Winchester was allowed to pick the challenge, God help us."

He shot Dean a meaningful look, like he was hoping the man would have some sort of excellent explanation.

Dean cleared his throat self-consciously. "I…err…thought we might have a snowball fight."

Ruby and Lilith looked offended by the very idea. Meg clutched her fur-lined cap and ducked as if the fight had already begun. Sarah, however, looked not a little intrigued at the possibility of throwing snow into Bela's carefully arranged locks.

Gabriel burst into a fit of laughter. "So let me get this straight, Dean-o: The show asks you to come up with a challenge that highlights the incredible Colorado winter while bringing the contestants together on a combined date and you pick a snowball fight? An actual snowball fight? Because you're ten years old, right?"

He almost fell off his pony in hysterics. "Ladies! Cas! We're going to have to cancel the show—Bachelor-man here isn't legal yet."

Dean scowled at the host. "Sounds like someone's afraid he would lose said snowball fight."

"No, it's more like I'm afraid my mommy wouldn't make a me a steaming cup of hot chocolate afterwards. But, I digress, please get back to explaining this truly awesome challenge, Dean." He batted his eyelashes obnoxiously.

Dean turned his back on Gabriel to face the contestants. "Regardless of what Gabriel thinks, I happen to appreciate someone who knows how to have fun. So a snowball fight it is!" A couple of groans echoed through the clearing.

"Now just a second, there's a catch." Dean gestured toward his brother. "Sam matters to me, and with the obvious exception of his taste in cars and music, I take his opinion very seriously. Therefore, the winner of today's challenge will receive a date with _him_."

Nobody seemed overly impressed by that statement and he was met with silence. Sam pulled a bitch-face at Dean that could rival Gabriel's pout.

"And they'll also receive immunity during the next elimination," Dean added hastily to instantaneous applause from the contestants.

Everyone seemed a lot more enthusiastic after that. Horses were tied to low hanging branches and the group assembled in the middle of the field, circled around Dean, Sam and Gabriel.

Gabriel raised his hands. "Now, obviously, there has to be some sort of judge to keep things fair so the three of us will accept that honor. Right, Dean?"

Dean's shoulders drooped suddenly and he looked like a kid who'd just been told Santa Claus wasn't real. "Yeah, sure, if I have to," he mumbled and let an already formed snowball drop from his hand. Castiel tried not to smile.

With much reluctance on Dean's part, they climbed back on their horses and left Gabriel to run around and call people out as they were hit.

"On your mark, get set, go!" Dean boomed and chaos erupted.

Snow flew everywhere and Castiel dove to the side, taking refuge behind an outcrop of boulders. Girls screamed and shrieked and Lilith yelled something about ruining her manicure. Castiel peeked over the top of his haven.

The sight that greeted him was pathetic, really. Lots of snow was flying, but none of it was hitting a mark. With the exception of Sarah, he doubted any of these women had spent much time in their youth cultivating the art of a perfectly crafted snowball. Ruby sailed an errant missile over Jo's head and Lilith accidentally threw hers backwards. Meg's snowball failed to hit Bela by several yards and Gabriel ended up with a face full of snow instead.

Shaking his head, Castiel knelt down and scraped together some snow. He carefully packed a fistful in his hands, breathing warmly over it to help fuse the substance together. Soon, a pile of perfect orbs sat at his feet and he chanced another look at the raging battlefield.

Anna stood with her back to him, an easy target. He took her out in a single pitch at her fiery red hair. Next came Jo, who received a well-aimed snowball to the chest. Ruby was taken care of in a flurry of frozen projectiles and promptly tipped over into a snowdrift as she screamed in protest.

Castiel saw Sarah take Lilith and Meg down in a blaze of glory. Her eyes searched for his hiding place to no avail however. He grinned in satisfaction; he wasn't about to give away his sniper's advantage.

Bela remained on the field, mostly because she was fast and the other girls' aims were poor. He knew that Sarah would get her and would probably enjoy herself while doing it.

Castiel found himself in the perfect position to act; Sarah was poised to take down Bela, who stood out in the open, trying to the scrape snow from her hair and salvage her runny make-up. He could wait for Sarah to eliminate Bela and then blindside her.

He contemplated the snowball in his hand and thought of Sarah standing on her tiptoes to get a glimpse of Sam. His eyes drifted to where Sam sat watching her, a hopeful expression on his face. Dean, sitting beside him, just looked bored.

It wasn't a hard choice. It took hardly a second's worth of thought in the end. Castiel wound his arm and let his missile fly. He didn't miss.

* * *

><p>"You know, this might have worked better if any of them could throw," Sam commented as he squinted through flying snow.<p>

"Don't tell me you don't love having a bunch of women fight over you, Sammy," Dean chortled.

"You're barbaric. That's all I really have to say."

Dean punched his brother in the shoulder. "I'm touched, Sammy. I knew you would love it. No need to thank me."

Sam rolled his eyes and asked instead, "Do you think they're ever going to catch on to Cas over there?"

"Nah. Look—Anna's about to eat it." Sure enough, Anna was flung forward as a pack of snow hit her from behind.

"Wish Gabriel would've let me play. I could have taken him," Dean grumbled.

"I dunno," Sam said thoughtfully. He threw his brother a loaded glance. "Cas is pretty awesome."

Dean, of course, missed the undertones. "Pssh, yeah, but I think I could keep up."

Sam sighed dramatically. "No, I mean he's awesome in general. You two seemed to really hit it off."

Dean shut down immediately, crossed his arms and looked away. "Yeah, sure, I guess."

Sam knew his brother was emotionally constipated, but he was going to pry the conversation out of Dean even if it killed him. "You've kept him through two eliminations now," he said pointedly.

"So what? He happens to be way more interesting than some of the girls I've met. He likes classic rock," he said, like that explained everything. Which, in Dean's universe, it probably did.

"You know it's okay with me if you like a guy, right? No judging and all that."

"What?" Dean's head snapped around. "It's not like that," he stammered, but the blush creeping into his cheeks said otherwise.

"Then how is it exactly? Because you realize that Cas is here on a _dating_ show. For _you_."

"Dude, he's not here for me. He's here because his brother made him. They needed to fill a slot and he's helping out." Dean shifted in the saddle uncomfortably.

Sam waited him out. The trick with Dean was a precise combination of patience and awkward silences. He'd had lots of practice.

Suddenly, the words poured from his brother's mouth like he couldn't keep them in any longer. "Sam, do you remember that night you wouldn't come out with me in L.A.? You had some sort of wimpy excuse of a stomach ache—which, by the way, those burgers were awesome and it's not their fault you're a pansy—and you told me to get lost?"

The burgers had been revoltingly greasy and could probably qualify as a health hazard, but Sam let it slide. "Hmmm. That does sound like me."

Dean rolled his eyes.

"Yes, Dean, I remember."

"Cas was there. Well, Cas and Gabriel, but mostly just Cas."

"Wait, what? You know Cas?" Rarely did Dean surprise Sam.

"Dude. It was like for one evening, but yeah. We danced."

Dean didn't dance…not unless he was interested in…oh. An image of Dean and Castiel grinding on the dance floor assaulted his mind—it was one thing to be supportive but he didn't want to picture it.

"TMI, man. TMI."

"I barely said anything!"

"Yeah, but I know you and now I'm picturing it." Sam shuddered.

Dean laughed. "That one's your fault, Sammy. Anyway, ever since that night, I just can't seem to get him out of my head. And it's just Cas," he clarified. "It's not like I'm suddenly hot for random dudes." He spat into the snow, like that would somehow keep his manhood intact.

Dean didn't say anything more and Sam knew he was waiting for his analysis. Dean might be his older brother but Sam was still the person he looked to for advice.

He must have waited a moment too long though because Dean just kept talking. Once the dam broke, it was a flood of information, not a trickle.

"And now I just totally ruined whatever it was with Cas. Bela said she invited him on the tour this morning and he never showed. He came out of nowhere with that comment at the barn and scared the crap outta me. After last night I thought he'd left for sure…"

Sam looked startled. "Wait. You saw him last night?"

"Like I said. I can't seem to stay away; the more I try and picture myself with another contestant, the more I end up lurking by his door at two in the morning like some sort of creeper. But he won't want anything to do with me now that that I royally fucked everything up."

Sam really, really wanted to ask what Dean had done but he had the sense to remain quiet on the issue. "Well, can I just point out that Cas is still here? He hasn't left yet. And, at the rate he's going, it looks like my next date will be with a dude too."

Dean didn't miss the way Sam's eyes drifted over to where Sarah still stood, hands full of snow and a gleeful expression on her face. He glanced at Cas, who stood twenty feet away, poised to strike. Bela was down for the count and it was Castiel's game to win; Sarah would never know what hit her.

Heart pounding, Dean realized he _wanted_ Castiel to win. No one could fault him for keeping him on the show if Cas won immunity fair and square. It was the perfect solution.

Castiel didn't move though. He stood there wavering and, in a moment of clarity, Dean guessed that Cas must have seen the way Sam looked at Sarah too.

He leaned over to say something to Sam but promptly fell off his horse as a giant icy snowball collided with the side of his face.

* * *

><p>Dean awoke face down in the snow with Sam beside him. "Oh man! You should see the look on your face right now!"<p>

Dean sat up slowly and rubbed his jaw. "What was that?" He looked around. Sarah hadn't been anywhere near him but Cas…Cas stood a few feet away wearing the guiltiest expression Dean had ever seen.

"No way." He rubbed his jaw again for effect.

Sam sniggered. "Like I said, man, Cas is awesome."

Even though the side of his face still hurt like bitch, it was hard to be mad at Cas after that. Sarah, with perhaps a shade too much delight, accepted her date with the bachelor's brother and gamely shook hands with Cas and the other ladies.

Dean tried desperately to catch Cas's eye, to somehow convey to him that he was sorry, that he wanted him, but Cas refused to look up. He rode by Sarah and Sam the whole way back to the mansion, keeping a careful distance away from Dean.

Dean slouched in the saddle and pouted. He hoped it was at least a dignified pout but really doubted it from the way Gabriel was smirking at him.

Dean's life was filled with people who were paid to tell him that he was right, that he was talented, that he was smart. Women flocked to him; men slapped him on the back and told him what a great man his father was.

He'd been told those things so many times, he had almost forgotten what it felt like to meet someone other than Sam who wasn't afraid to call him an idiot. Or knock him off his high horse—literally.

Cas had given Sarah the date and thus given up his chance for immunity. Dean would have to make a decision now and the thought made his gut churn. Was this what it was like, to want something for himself?

Castiel flashed Sarah a smile and something clenched in Dean's chest. Sam was right, Castiel was worth fighting for and Dean would find a way to set things right. If Cas didn't like him after that, it wouldn't because Dean didn't try.

* * *

><p><strong>I like when Cas can mess with Dean right back. He may be a nerd, but he's also a bit of a badass:)<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Sam led Sarah down a spindly path to the ranch's guesthouse. "Now, Dean has a lot of great qualities, but I like to pride myself on being a romantic at heart."

"Isn't that a line guys say to get into a girl's pants? You know, emotional crap and all that like 'you complete me'."

"You're ruining this, Sarah."

"Oh, am I? You don't look very upset." She raised an eyebrow at Sam's barely suppressed grin.

They were fortunate that all the cameras were being used to film the night's elimination and they could just hang out for a few hours while events unfolded at the mansion. She supposed she would have to do an interview later about their "date" but it was worth having a couple hours away from the filming crew.

Sam made a show of holding the door open as Sarah stepped through the entranceway. Compared to the mansion, the guesthouse was small and intimate, decorated in warm colors and comfortable furniture. A fire burned from an old-fashioned potbelly stove in one corner and two glasses of champagne had been set on a table in front of an overstuffed burgundy couch.

Sarah moved toward the couch but Sam caught her hand. "Just a second; I have something you might want to see."

"Is that another bad pick-up line?"

"Quit it with the sarcasm and just come here." He led her up a flight of narrow stairs to a set of ebony colored double doors.

"Close your eyes."

"Not a chance."

He gave her hand an exasperated squeeze. "If I'm a romantic, you must be the complete opposite."

"I pride myself on frustrating sappy moments."

Words failed her though as Sam led her into the room. Tall arching windows cast the last of the afternoon light onto what must have been thousands of books.

Each wall was a bookcase; covers of every shape and size decorated the shelves and the smell of a million unopened pages pervaded the air. More books were stored on additional shelves that sat in the middle of the room as a centerpiece on an elaborate oriental rug.

Sarah proceeded to ignore Sam completely and ran her fingers over the titles, pausing over her favorites.

Sam cleared his throat. "So this is good? You can tell me if it's lame. I just thought…well Dean never appreciates this sort of stuff…this might be your only chance to see it—"

Sarah interrupted him. "Don't laugh, but I always sort of thought I might meet my soul mate in a library."

"Well, in that case," he walked over to where she stood, "the name's Sam Winchester. How do you do?"

* * *

><p>Castiel smiled to himself and tossed a stolen key in the air. And here Gabriel thought <em>he<em> was the trickster; he hadn't even noticed when Castiel pickpocketed his room key as they exited the stables.

He had guessed correctly; his trench coat had been hidden under Gabriel's collection of exotic underwear. Which included a single pair of granny-panties he really didn't want to imagine his brother in.

The trench coat now flapped merrily in the breeze and he picked his way back to his room. Or, at least, it seemed to flap merrily—wearing it again felt like reunion to him at any rate. It was funny how wearing clothes he actually owned could bring such contentment.

He hadn't really seen Dean since he'd thrown that snowball earlier in the afternoon but the memory still brought a satisfied warmth to his chest. He figured they were even now; Dean had completely rejected his kiss and Castiel had creamed him with a mass of packed ice and sexual frustration.

He fiddled with the door handle and noticed a package sitting outside his room. Wrapped in brown paper, there was no named attached, but it must have been meant for him. Sarah had left earlier for her date with Sam and would have picked it up otherwise.

He deposited the package on his bed and stripped his boots off. A careful knock sounded from the partially opened door.

"Hello? Castiel?" Bela stood in the doorway looking rather uncomfortable.

"Bela? What are you doing here? I wasn't aware you even knew my name." His brows furrowed in suspicion.

Bela giggled. "Of course I know who you are! A pair of blue-eyes like yours is hard to forget." Was she flirting with him?

Bela seemed to realize how her comment might have come across and cleared her throat. "Geez, all I mean is that, yes, I know who you are."

Castiel didn't respond and Bela took it as a cue to continue. "So, you got the package I left?"

"You left this?"

"Well, it's not from me, it's from Dean, but yes, I dropped it off an hour ago. He asked me to."

Of course Dean would ask Bela instead of just doing it himself.

"Well, you can let Dean know I received it and can send him my eternal gratitude or something," he said with no small amount of annoyance.

Bela showed no sign of leaving however and moved to lean against the doorframe as she examined her nails. "I know we haven't exactly been the best of friends, but I was hoping I could wish you luck before you go."

"What?"

"You know—wherever you go after this. I'm sure all the contestants will be a little sad to watch you leave."

He felt like he was missing some important piece of conversation. "Sorry, what makes you think I'm leaving?"

She placed a hand over her mouth. "Oh! You didn't know!" She gestured to the package on the bed. "Dean sent that as a goodbye. I guess he feels a little bad about how the elimination's going to go tonight. I think it's sort of nice gesture actually."

Castiel's stomach dropped. He didn't know why he had hoped otherwise considering the events of the past twenty-four hours. He ran his hands through his hair and glanced at his open suitcase. It was finally time to pack then. He knew it was coming so why was there a funny prickling sensation at the corner of his eyes?

"Want some help packing?" Bela offered, but her tone sounded a little too bright for Castiel to think she felt anything other than glee at his departure.

"No thanks," he said curtly but his voice cracked a little.

Bela studied him and carefully selected her next words. "At least you know beforehand. That way you won't be totally humiliated at the elimination. I mean, it's terrible to get rejected on live television, but at least you can be prepared."

Castiel's eyes narrowed and he brushed a little bit of hot wetness from his cheek. Bela was sorely mistaken if she thought he was going to stick around for the elimination.

"Right. Of course this is more preferable. Thank you for helping me see the positives in this situation, Bela."

Bela's mouth quirked. "Of course, Castiel. My pleasure. I'm glad we could part on such a nice note."

A nice note indeed. He still wouldn't have been surprised to discover the woman was descended from Medusa. With a last little wave his direction though, Bela finally left.

Castiel started throwing clothes in his bag but the package on the bed caught his eye. He slowly unwrapped it, taking the time to lift each individual flap instead of ripping the wrapping apart.

His eyes slammed shut when he saw the label on the box inside. Why did Dean do this to him? He couldn't just let Castiel hate him when he left, he had to go and buy the one camera Castiel had been saving for and the exact reason he had agreed to the show in the first place.

_Damn the man_, he thought brokenly and threw the box against the bedframe. As soon as he had done it however, he rushed to grab the package; afraid he might have damaged the device. He sat on the bed and cradled the camera, wishing that Gabriel were there.

* * *

><p>Sarah sipped her champagne around as she studied Sam. "This isn't exactly the kind of date I expected. I guess I figured we'd spend more time talking about Dean."<p>

Sam flushed. Crap. He'd totally forgotten about his brother. It was surprisingly easy to do once they got on the subject of books. "Umm, right. Dean. Anything you wanted to know in particular?"

She smiled and took another sip. "Nope."

Sarah was different than Jessica had been. Where Jess had been sweet and shy, Sarah was passionate and vocal. Jess had held his hand and let him know how much she loved him but Sarah made him laugh and kept him guessing. It was just different and Sam found he liked it. Too bad Sarah was here to date his brother.

It wasn't until Sam noticed Sarah's expectant expression that he realized she'd asked a question. "Sorry, what was that?"

She shook her head and sighed. "I said, what do you think about this sort of thing? The show and all that?"

"Do you want the answer where I tell you what a kick I get out of watching Dean being an idiot on television or the truth?"

"The truth, obviously."

Sam took the time to put his thoughts together. "Single Ladies was never Dean's idea; our dad just came home one night and announced that Dean would be doing it to help repair the family reputation. I don't think it ever even occurred to Dean to protest."

He looked around guiltily, like Dean might round the corner at any second. "It was all my fault though—after everything the papers printed last summer and what with Dad running a reelection campaign—he thinks we need all the positive press we can get."

"It wasn't your fault Jessica died, Sam."

Sam felt his throat close up. "How do you know about that?"

"Castiel told me—I hope you don't mind."

"No, no, it's just hard to talk about still. And the stuff I did afterwards…"

"But you stopped. You're clean, right?"

"Yeah, but nobody looks at it that way. All they'll ever see is a recovering addict. I'll never live it down and now Dean's paying the price with this stupid show that he never wanted to do in the first place. Heck, the guy's probably gay, at least for Cas, but he'll still marry one of these other girls to make me look a little better."

Sarah laid her hand deliberately over Sam's. "Sam—I don't know what you see in yourself, but all I see is a man who loves his older brother and a guy who would volunteer to ride with a girl who's irrationally terrified of horses. You don't have to live in your mistakes and your brother doesn't either."

It was only after Sam relived their conversation later that night he realized Sarah hadn't been upset when he implied Dean preferred Castiel.

* * *

><p>Bela turned a small envelope over and over in her hands. She had read the contents several times and each time made her angrier than the last.<p>

_I'm a total idiot, Cas. Just thought I should say that to start out with…_

_I liked the kiss, okay? A lot…_

_Please stay. I can't stop thinking about you. I know this isn't much, but I noticed you checking out one of these on set…._

_So I'll see you tonight?_

She read it one more time and then carefully threw it in the fireplace. Dean was lucky to have her, really. He didn't know what he wanted, but she did. And he definitely didn't want some nobody cameraman. It was a good thing she has stumbled upon his pathetic appeal before Castiel did. Who knew what might have happened otherwise if Castiel had read the letter first?

She applied a fresh layer of crimson lipstick and slipped into a tight silk dress. Dean was going to get what he wanted tonight. She would make sure of it.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry there wasn't any Dean time in this chapter but the plot (What? There's plot in this?) had to move forward! <strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's a fast update for you! Don't you just love snow days? **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Dean waited at the foot of the grand staircase. All the cameras were trained on him, ready to go, but he could only pace the floor nervously as his eyes scanned for the one face he wanted to see.

Beautiful sparkling gowns swam by in a blur of myriad colors, but a certain blue hue was conspicuously absent. He readjusted his bowtie for the fiftieth time and checked the clock again.

"Dean—it's five past seven. He's not coming," the show's producer, Balthazar, whispered in his ear. "We need to get started."

"Just give me a few more minutes." He glanced over to where six ruby red roses sat on an end table. Only one of them actually mattered though.

A familiar giggle echoed from across the room and Dean strode over to where Gabriel was unabashedly flirting with some of the crew. "Dude, where's your brother?"

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you've lost him, have you?"

"No, I'm serious. He's supposed to be here."

Gabriel scrunched his face like he was trying to recall the last time he'd seen Cas. "Hmmm…Cassie definitely left the stables with me…it's all a bit fuzzy though…do you think a twenty might help jog my memory? Feel free to hand over your money any time now…"

"I mean it! Where is he?" Dean's hands itched to throttle the shorter man.

"So angsty, Dean-o!" Dean continued to glower and Gabriel gulped. "Look—I let the little stinker filch my room key so he could steal back that coat he loves so much. You better not clue him in on that one though; he thinks he's clever."

"You're not helpful."

"Well, you didn't pay me, did you?"

Rather than slap Gabriel like he wanted, Dean turned around to scan the room again. He was about to screw the elimination entirely and start looking for Castiel himself when a slender hand squeezed his bicep.

"Dean, darling, forgive me, but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation and I think I know where Castiel is."

Dean twisted to find Bela crowding his personal space in a dress her curves barely fit into. Her hand wrapped around his arm in what she probably assumed was some sort of seductive gesture. It felt more like a snake's coil than anything else.

He ripped his arm out of hers with a speed that surprised him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt nothing for a woman in a tight dress. "So where is he?"

"He left," she said simply.

"What?" The world blurred around him and he couldn't see straight. "How would you know that?"

"I saw him walk out the front door, suitcase and all. Look, I'd really rather not repeat this but," she leaned in and whispered lowly in his ear, "he said to tell you, for what it's worth, that the kiss didn't mean anything. He just wanted to see if you'd do it."

How could Bela have known about that? Something was out of place but the answer eluded him. Bela couldn't have known about that night, not unless Castiel had said something. Dean was suddenly assaulted with an image of Castiel sharing all their moments to a circle of giggling girls and laughing at how ridiculous he had been.

Had Castiel been playing him the whole time and he never realized it?

The corners of Bela's mouth tipped upwards in a triumphant grin. Dean was buying everything she was selling if the green tinge to his cheeks was anything to go by.

"He told you about that?" the man croaked and pulled at his bowtie like he couldn't breathe.

She adopted a mask of sympathy. "I'm afraid he said rather a lot about you. But none of it matters anymore because he's gone now. We can finally get things back to the way things were supposed to be."

"And how was that?" he said blankly.

Bela reached up to trace the side of his mouth with a long nail. "I seem to remember you being quite a ladies' man, Dean. I've been looking forward to experiencing some of your moves, if you get what I'm saying," she said in a silky tone.

"So he's gone?" God, the man was an idiot sometimes. Bela really hoped the money would be worth putting up with all the one-sided conversations.

She was impatient now. "Yes. He's gone, okay? Left for good. He packed that stupid camera of yours in his bag and took off."

Dean appeared to be in shock for several moments before she saw a flicker of…something…cross his face.

"How would you know he had a camera if his suitcase was packed when you saw him?"

Bela stumbled, trying to recall what she had said. "He's a cameraman, Dean—of course he has one, it's part of his job."

"No, you said specifically the camera I gave him." Bela imagined she could see the gears turning in his mind—she was losing him.

"Dean, let's not get off track here. It's for the best Castiel left. He was an embarrassment to the show and your family. You belong with someone more…appropriate," she appealed.

"No."

"What did you just say to me?"

"I said no." Dean's eyes hardened. "Something's not adding up here and you're a part of it somehow. Castiel wouldn't just leave, not if he got my note."

"Dean—"

"I don't believe you, Bela. Now get out of my way so I can go find Cas."

"You don't really want him!" The sentiment escaped her as she clung to his sleeve.

"What would you know about what I want?" he said coldly.

"I did it _for_ you; I told Castiel you were eliminating him tonight. You should be thanking me!"

His eyes widened. "And what did you do with my gift? Did he even get my note?"

She didn't answer but Dean saw what he was looking for in her expression. He practically snarled.

"Let. Go. Of. Me." Bela's grip loosened instantly and all her clever words disappeared. Dean turned around and walked away.

"You won't find him! He doesn't want you!" she yelled to his back.

Dean flipped her the middle finger in reply.

* * *

><p>Dean grabbed a rose and cursed a little as one of the thorns drew blood. He berated himself for believing Bela and tried to quell the panic that jumped within him at the thought of how Castiel must have reacted to her lie.<p>

It was like watching time slip through his fingers; with each passing moment it seemed more and more unlikely that he could ever fix things and that Castiel would forgive him. He had to find the man fast.

His mind skimmed through his options. Cas couldn't have made it farther than the airport. A British accent interrupted his thoughts however.

"Going somewhere, Mr. Winchester?" Balthazar said, obviously still pissed they hadn't started on time.

"Don't give me that crap, Bal. I don't care about the stupid show. I have to find Cas. He's supposed to be getting one of these." He swatted the flower across the producer's cheek.

The other man's bad mood disappeared in an instant. "Excellent. Carry on then—you can't plan this sort of ratings goldmine. However, you had better say something and excuse yourself before going off to chase your man."

Dean wanted to say a lot of things, including some particularly choice phrases to Bela.

Balthazar looked like he knew what Dean was planning however and cut him off. "I absolutely insist that you keep the Talbot girl though."

"Go to hell."

"Producer's call." Dammit. The producer was allowed one override per season due to something about ensuring a successful show and keeping colorful characters in play or whatever.

Dean growled. Didn't anyone understand that Cas might board a plane any minute? He turned to the group, placed both pinkies in his mouth and whistled.

"Uh right, well," he said to the silent room, "sorry to cut things short people, but there's been a change in plans. We're missing someone who deserves to be here and I've suddenly discovered that…I have to go." He ripped off his bowtie. "Everyone except for Jo and Meg take a rose and I'll see you later."

A single clap echoed across the frozen room. "And let's all give Dean a round of applause for hosting the worst elimination ever, shall we?" Gabriel inserted with a barely restrained grin. "You'd better run for it, Dean," he whispered conspiratorially.

If Dean were prone to spontaneously catching on fire, Jo and Meg's combined glare probably would have done the trick.

* * *

><p>He tried to take the Impala. However, the moment Dean revved the engine, the other doors of the car opened and a bunch of microphones were shoved in his face.<p>

"So does this mean you're gay after all? Castiel isn't just a publicity stunt?"

"What makes you think he wants you too?"

"How do you imagine your father will react to the news?"

He couldn't do this, at least not with what felt like a million cameras following. The panic rose again to new heights—he'd never find Castiel this way. Despite his reluctance to admit he ever needed it, he whipped out his phone and called for help.

Bobby Singer arrived in a whirlwind of bitter curses against the winter wind that slammed the barn door shut behind him. He stomped his boots and glared at Dean, who stood by the entrance.

"You know I love you like a son, kid, but what the hell are you playing at by calling an old fogy away from his fire on a night like this?"

Dean glanced back toward where the cameramen and Balthazar perched in his car. One ambitious intern was even attempting to film through the tinted window.

"I need a driver," Dean mumbled with his back to the car. Bobby's gaze drifted toward the Impala.

"Son, it's not that I'm not flattered, but I don't have a death wish either. No one touches that beauty but you. I just drive everything else."

"This is more important," Dean said hurriedly.

Bobby contemplated him for a moment and Dean must have looked exceptionally panicked because he asked, "What do you need exactly?"

"Just follow my lead."

Dean approached the vehicle with a false smile. "Gentlemen, I can't drive in this sort of state." He held out his hands and noted with surprise that they were already shaking without his encouragement. "Therefore, Mr. Singer here has graciously agreed to drive us. If the overambitious intern would get out of the passenger seat, we can go."

The intern was promptly squeezed into the back of the car and Bobby sat down in the driver's seat. Dean threw him the keys.

Dean walked slowly to the passenger side, leaned in through the open window and winked in Bobby's direction. "By the way, Bobby, I'm pretty sure Cas went to the Denver airport. That's what Bela said at any rate."

Balthazar's brows furrowed. "That seems odd. The Denver airport's almost three hours away…"

"Well, you better get going then!" Dean cried and whacked the top of the car. Bobby, who never smiled, grinned at Dean and roared out of the barn, with the camera crew trapped inside.

* * *

><p>Gabriel, however, proved much more savvy than the camera crew. Dean found him leaning outside the barn as the Impala's taillights disappeared down the road.<p>

"Don't supposed you bothered to ask Bobby to hand over the keys to another car, did you?"

Dean's stomach dropped. No, he hadn't. Bobby kept them all on a long keychain he carried with him.

"I thought as much. So what's the plan now, stud?"

"To get rid of you as soon as possible," Dean snapped but still found himself at a loss. He was sure that Castiel would have used the old mountain airport that sat almost twenty minutes down the road but he wasn't any closer to getting there than he had been before.

Gabriel was unfazed. "Too bad you let Bobby have Impala. I mean, _the_ Impala."

That was it! He still had his horse! "Yeah, about that. I gotta go—why don't you try being helpful for a change and call your brother to let him know I'm on the way."

"And ruin the surprise? That doesn't sound like me at all. But you go get'em, tiger!"

Gabriel chuckled to himself as Dean bolted toward the stable. He was rather clever, if he said so himself. Served the guy right for thinking he could mess with Cas.

* * *

><p>If Dean could have pictured himself racing off to find Castiel, he might have imagined himself bent low over Impala as she flew along the road. In that fantasy, he would have found Castiel straightaway, slumped dejectedly by the side of the road and looking to be rescued. Dean would have suavely offered the other man a lift on the back of his horse and they would have ridden off into the sunset together with Castiel's arms curled around his waist.<p>

Instead, Dean shivered in the saddle as Impala trudged steadily into the icy wind. The flashlight he had brought barely lit up the road ahead and his cheeks stung with what he was sure were the beginnings of frostbite.

Castiel, of course, was nowhere to be found. Not that Dean imagined the man would have walked to the airport in such weather (No, only he was apparently that stupid), but he had sort of hoped he might find him on the road and sweep him into his arms like some sort of romantic hero.

As soon as Dean thought that, he cursed himself for having obviously spent too much time watching Sam's chick-flick collection.

However, Castiel wasn't at the airport either. Dean had burst through the doors to the old building, scared half a dozen people who sat in the cracked seats, and then been promptly kicked out by some crusty security guard who claimed horses couldn't be ridden inside airports, but he hadn't found Castiel.

All in all, it wasn't one of his best nights.

Dean's heart sank as the mansion came back into view. In a daze, he went through the motions of putting Impala down for the night, barely thinking about the act as he did it. A steady chorus of, _he's gone, he's gone,_ echoed through his mind. He couldn't believe he had messed everything up so epically.

He slipped silently through the patio door, tiptoeing across the dark wooden floors. It looked like most of the house had gone to bed in his absence, but he was careful regardless. The last thing Dean needed was a second round of public humiliation.

Dean had been sure he was heading toward his own room and the unknowing bliss that came with sleep and was thus surprised to find his feet had carried him unconsciously instead to what had been Castiel's door.

It was almost like the exact events of the previous twenty-four hours were repeating themselves in an eerie cycle. He had stood here just last night, when, for second, life had been absolutely perfect. Detached, Dean watched his hand raise itself into a fist to knock on the solid frame. The sound echoed eerily up and down the hall, reverberating for what seemed an unnatural length of time.

Therefore, he was almost positive he was dreaming when a sleepy cascade of black hair and a pair of piercing blue eyes answered.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry for the cliffhanger! I couldn't find a great place to separate these chapters but I can promise a quick update!<strong>


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay! I tried to get it out quick for you all! I would absolutely love any reviews you would care to give. I was a little nervous to write some of this...:)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

"Dean?" Castiel squinted and rubbed his eyes. Dean didn't say anything and looked at Castiel in shock, like he hadn't expected him to answer. Which was stupid. It _was_ Castiel's room after all.

"Dean, what are you doing here?" he repeated.

"Cas?"

"Yes. Castiel. This is my room," he deadpanned.

"But you were…she said you were gone."

Dean stood there looking utterly lost and it took the better portion of Castiel's restraint not reach out to him. He had to remind himself that Dean had _eliminated_ him.

The man still stood there, like he was expecting an answer though and it took Castiel a moment to figure out what Dean must have meant. "Right, you're right. It was my intention to leave tonight, but the first flight back to L.A. departs tomorrow morning. I did not think anyone would mind if I remained an additional night. Didn't Gabriel tell you?"

Castiel could actually see the changes in Dean's expression as he absorbed the information. Shock, confusion and finally something approaching hope flashed across his face. At the mention of his brother's name however, everything morphed into a mask of supreme annoyance.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "Gabriel, huh? _Gabriel._" He said the name like a curse. "I rode a friggin' horse to the airport! This is all about that stupid pony stunt. Just wait till I get my hands on that mother f—"

"You were at the airport?"

Dean had finally recovered his voice. "Well, yeah, Cas, I couldn't just let you leave. Not without telling you…" his eyes drifted downward and he blushed.

"What?"

But Dean couldn't seem to say it. Instead, Castiel was pushed back into the room as a pair of hands gripped tightly around his waist and a rough set of lips crashed into his own.

Dean kissed like the world was ending. Before, Castiel hadn't let himself wonder if the man had kissed him back but now, it was like Dean was everywhere at once. Castiel moaned despite himself as Dean's tongue swiped across his lower lip.

His body felt like it was on fire and the only way to put it out was to grab onto Dean a little tighter as the man pushed him up against a wall. Dean used the new position to his advantage and slid a knee between Castiel's legs.

Castiel gasped at the sensation and opened his mouth involuntarily. Dean was instantly inside him, twining his tongue with Castiel's as his hands raced up and down the smaller man's sides.

Moonlight streamed through the room's windows and highlighted the subtle contours of Dean's skin. Even in the pale light, Castiel could see each individual freckle that frosted the man's cheeks.

Dean's hands drifted to the hem of Castiel's shirt and if he thought his body had been on fire, it became an inferno at the first touch of Dean's hands against his bare chest. Castiel's hands instantly crept under Dean's shirt in return, eliciting a low moan from the green-eyed man as they drifted over his harden nipples.

Dean, loosing the last of his restraint, openly rocked into Castiel now and the friction did things to Castiel that he had never dreamed could feel at once so painful and so good. He tried to remember his name, his career, or anything really, but there was only Dean.

"Dean," he moaned and tried to recall what had happened to his shirt.

"Cas," came the only reply from an equally shirtless Dean. Dean's hands slid down to twine with Castiel's and the man pulled him toward the bed.

Lying down beside Dean had to be one of the best moments he could have ever imagined. All his life, he had slept alone, and to find someone unexpectedly beside him was so enthralling that Castiel's heart leapt as Dean ran his thumb up and down his cheek. He reached over to capture the other man's lips again.

They kissed, slow and intimate, for what felt like seconds, or possibly several lifetimes before Dean pulled back.

"I thought I lost you. You have no idea."

"I do, actually."

Dean kissed him lightly again. "There was a note with the camera. You were supposed to read about how incredibly awesome you are and how incredibly stupid I am, but you never got it did you?"

He hadn't. Bela had made sure of that. He only shook his head in reply though.

Dean looked like he wanted to rant about Bela, but suddenly his eyes softened. "You know what? We've already wasted too much time on her tonight. How about I tell you what my letter said instead?"

So Dean told him and Castiel kissed him passionately in reply. After a while though, Dean rolled over and stumbled off the bed, like he had had an idea. Castiel saw him searching through a jacket that had been discarded by the door.

Dean slid back onto the bed and a wet mass of…something…was shoved into Castiel's hand. He peered at it through the moonlight.

"You brought me a dead flower?"

Dean chucked and slid a warm arm over Castiel's waist. "It used to be a rose. You know, before I slapped Balthazar with it, crumpled it into the Impala and shoved it inside my jacket on the way to the airport. Yep, definitely used to be a rose."

"This is part where I should thank you for my dead flower then, yes?"

"No need. If I could, I would give you a million dead flowers."

"I don't know whether that is the most pathetic or most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Don't think too hard on it then." With a happy sigh, Dean pulled Castiel against his chest and buried his nose in the man's hair. "You smell fantastic, by the way," were the last words he said before the sound of steady breathing filled the room and he was asleep.

Castiel smiled to himself and clutched his rose a little harder as he drifted off as well.

* * *

><p>Balthazar was fuming as he kicked a random trashcan at the Denver airport. He had failed to persuade the Singer man to turn around and was now stuck searching uselessly through the terminal.<p>

Castiel wasn't here and Dean had known it. Castiel wasn't ever going to be here, but Bobby still insisted on walking through the entire baggage claim area calling his name. Balthazar cursed all the great footage he had missed out on and could only hope his extra cameras scattered throughout the mansion had picked something up.

Strictly speaking, it wasn't legal to insert cameras into the contestant's private rooms or the Winchester's own sleeping quarters. That didn't mean he hadn't installed them himself regardless late one night though.

A flash of dark hair and a neat suit passing by caught his attention however and he did a double take. Was it possible this evening wasn't going to be a complete waste after all?

"Mr. Winchester?" he called hesitantly. "Mr. John Winchester?" The dark haired man turned around and strode his direction.


	14. Chapter 14

**Gosh I've been busy lately! But the good news is that spring break is here and hopefully that means more updates coming your way! As always, I write faster and faster with each review!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural but I love Dean, Cas and Sam with an unhealthy obsession!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

"You have to leave, I'm serious."

"No I don't. Let's go back to sleep."

Castiel had woken up completely and inexplicably happy. Basking in the warmth of the bed covers, it took him a moment to remember why he was so content. He cracked his eyes open though and was pleasantly relieved to find Dean still sleeping beside him.

He took a moment to marvel at the other man. Hours before, he had been having the worst day of his life until Dean showed up at his door. He let himself snuggle further into Dean's heat.

At the movement however, Dean's eyes cracked open and found Castiel's. A smile stretched slowly across his face and his arms snaked around Castiel, pulling him flush with his chest.

"Morning," he whispered, like if he spoke any louder it would ruin the perfectness of the moment.

Castiel reached up to run his fingers along Dean's neck and Dean took it as a cue to brush his lips against his. Sparks shot instantly down Castiel's spine and he deepened the kiss without thinking.

Dean responded enthusiastically, rolling over to pin Castiel on his back.

"So, you don't mind morning breath then?" Dean chuckled against his lips.

"Not when it's you, apparently."

"That bodes well for me."

They continued like that, and, for a while, Castiel lost sense of all time and space. A series of creaks from the next room over though jolted him back to the present.

"Sarah's up," he said reluctantly. "You should probably go. You don't want to be caught doing the walk of shame from my room."

"Walk of shame, huh? I think I'm pretty proud of last night actually," Dean grinned and nosed the underside of Castiel's jaw.

"You know what I mean. You don't really want other people to catch you with me before you tell your family, right?"

Dean sighed. "Why do you always have to be right, Cas?"

"Because, statistically, you happen to be wrong quite frequently. That would make me right by default."

Dean just rolled his eyes at Castiel's analysis and muttered something about rhetorical questions and other people's lack of ability to recognize them. He sat up though and pulled on a shirt.

"So what changed your mind?" Castiel couldn't help asking. "About me—or well, this? You seemed pretty set against it before," he gestured between the two of them.

Dean snickered to himself as he rummaged around for his jacket and hat. "I'm not sure, to tell you the truth. Maybe when you threw that snowball at me?"

"Physical violence and immaturity appeal to you?"

"Something like that. Or, you know, maybe you're the only person I've ever met who would actually do something that crazy. It makes sense to me anyway."

Dean stood by the door and Castiel scrambled over to him, wishing, now that he was actually going to leave, that he wouldn't.

"I would very much like to cream you with future snowballs, Dean." He looked solemnly up into Dean's gaze.

Dean burst out laughing. "Dude, you the way you speak combined with my talent for making unnecessary sexual innuendos—we are going to be awesome together." He pulled Castiel into a hug.

"What happens now exactly?" Castiel mumbled against Dean's chest and wrapped his arms around the man's waist.

"Hmmm. Good question." Dean calmed down a little and caught Castiel's gaze. "I think I have to continue with the show or several people, at all levels of importance, will have a conniption. I still want my dad to like me after this. It's going to hard enough to tell him about us." He wandered off in thought.

"But you're going to tell him?"

Dean jolted. "Yeah, of course. It's just…I need to find the right moment, you know? I've never done anything like this before. Ever. I don't even know what I'm supposed to say."

Dean chuckled. "Most kids who go through a little rebellion already did it fifteen years ago—when they were fifteen. And you're kind of a bigger deal than frosting my hair or getting a tattoo." He ruffled Castiel's black mess fondly.

"Well, can you at least get rid of Bela in the meantime?"

"Looking forward to it. Balthazar already used his one veto to keep her in last night."

They kissed one last time and then Dean slipped quietly out the door. His head reappeared around the corner though almost instantly. "You know, I can't remember the last time I was this okay. I'm actually finding it hard to be pissed at Gabriel right now. "

"Well, God works in mysterious ways."

"And that's why I like you, Cas." Dean disappeared for real this time.

Castiel latched the door handle again, smile as wide as a highway, and gave himself a high five. Which looked a lot like clapping, but he knew what he meant.

* * *

><p>After a hasty shower, Castiel walked downstairs for breakfast. The room went instantly silent and he carefully dished himself a plate under the scrutiny of four pairs of narrowed eyes. Only Sarah shot him a half smile from under her cup of coffee.<p>

Castiel sat down at the other end of the table and tried not to make eye contact. He didn't trust himself not to give Bela everything she deserved right then and there. Thus, he meticulously picked at his bacon while Bela and her remaining cronies threw scathing looks his direction.

Thankfully, the agony was short lived. The Winchesters walked into the room and a chorus of giggles immediately erupted from the far end of the table, as if Bela and company had been chatting merrily the whole time instead of trying to set Castiel on fire through the power of their glares alone. The devil herself even had the audacity to wave Dean over to an empty seat beside her, like the events of the previous night had never occurred.

To Castiel's immense satisfaction however, Dean ignored Bela completely and sat by him instead. Castiel had expected Sam to join them but was surprised to see him sit by Sarah. Dean saw it too but shrugged it off with a "Sam-is-totally-beyond-my-comprehension" glance and proceeded to shove an unholy amount of eggs into his mouth.

In the end, it was Ruby who broke the silence. "So, good sleep Dean?" she asked in a deceptively sweet voice.

Completely unruffled, Dean barely looked up from his plate.

"Absolutely," he said. Except it sounded like "abthouluthee" and a little egg sprayed from his mouth as he said it. The other end of the table looked up from their grapefruit halves, appalled.

"Whaaa?" was Dean's only response but he squeezed Castiel's hand underneath the table as he chewed. Sam rolled his eyes like had expected nothing less.

Castiel would have been content to spend the rest of the morning watching Dean horrify the other contestants and meet Sam's lowest expectations, but Gabriel burst suddenly through the double doors wearing a flustered expression.

"Dean…just found out…saw him on my way down here…you should know…"

Dean waited calmly, a true testament to his avowed good mood. "Spit it out, Gabe."

But it was too late; with a crash, the doors to the dining room flew open again and John Winchester stormed through. Dean instantly dropped Castiel's hand like it burned.

"Dad?" was the simultaneous question of both brothers. Sam scrambled awkwardly to his feet and his chair clattered to the floor.

John Winchester barely acknowledged his sons however. His dark eyes scanned the room and landed directly upon Castiel with a steely gaze. Castiel stared right back, undeterred.

"Dad?" Dean repeated. "Dad, what're you doing here?"

At that, John finally turned away from Castiel and addressed his oldest son. He cleared his throat. "I felt it was time that I was involved on the show. Your producer seemed to think it was…lacking something."

His grim expression turned into a sweeping grin though suddenly, as if he had remembered he was being filmed. "I _am_ your father after all. Surely these ladies would like to know where all those good looks came from!" Several of the girls giggled in reply. John Winchester, if possible, was even more attractive than his sons.

"But what about work?"

John moved smoothly around the room, coming to stand by Bela and resting his hands on her shoulders. "Dean. Don't you think it's more important I help my eldest choose a wife? No one can say that John Winchester isn't first and foremost a family man."

John looked straight at Castiel as he said it and Castiel couldn't help feeling like the statement was more of a warning than anything else. Dean swallowed nervously beside him.

* * *

><p>The previous night…<p>

John Winchester burst into the production room where several underpaid interns were taking a break from watching the cameras. Indulging in a late night smoke, feet were propped haphazardly on furniture and a Cheetos bag hung from every pair of hands.

"Dean's room. Now."

A woman with a neatly displayed ID badge and a mousy face whipped around, spilling her coffee in the process. Her highlighted blonde hair hung in clumps and spoke of several back-to-back shifts.

"And who are you exactly? You can't just come in here demanding to see private feeds—"

"Becky, you had better do what he says." Balthazar had slipped into the room unnoticed and ill at ease. "Becky, meet John Winchester. Mr. Winchester, Becky Rosen, our editorial specialist."

Becky's face lit up and she rushed forward to shake hands. "Ooooh! I can't believe I didn't recognize you! You just look so different in person—more rugged I think. I can see where Sam gets all his charm."

John didn't say anything in reply and indicated the monitors.

She glanced toward Balthazar. "Technically speaking, sir, we don't have cameras in private sleeping quarters—"

"Spare me the story. I know Balthazar and I know those cameras exist."

"No, really, sir, I think there's been a mistake—"

Balthazar interrupted her. "No, Becky, he found the one in his own quarters first try, the bastard. Go ahead."

"Ohhh, right! Umm," she fiddled with the keyboard, "here you go, sir!" She peered into the monitor, every bit as eager as the men beside her. She loved her job. Where else did you get paid to spy on hot men at all hours?

Dean's room was empty however when it opened onscreen and the kitchen, dining room, pool house and rec rooms were all equally vacant. John slammed his fist onto the table and Becky, startled, spilled her coffee again.

The senator adopted a resigned tone. "Show me the man's room. Cas-teel, or whatever his name is."

A dark image appeared on the monitor and it took Becky a moment to discern the room's contents. She adjusted the brightness and shadows of the feed though and two figures swam into focus.

Castiel and Dean lay curled up together on the bed. Any question about whether the sleeping arrangement was platonic was quickly resolved when Castiel rolled over on his side and Dean followed him, one arm draped possessively around his waist. Becky couldn't help but marvel at how natural they looked together.

"Delicious…" she breathed, forgetting for a moment that she was a professional.

John's head snapped around. "What did you say?"

She backtracked, looking toward Balthazar with a panicked expression. "I just meant, ahh, that they look comfortable. Isn't it nice to see two people so comfortable with each other?"

"Hardly." John rounded on Balthazar.

"This is _your_ fault. It was _your_ idea and I expect _you_ to fix it."

Balthazar shifted nervously but still said, "I hardy think a little crush is something to get worked up about—"

"Little? Does that look little to you?" He jabbed the monitor where the sleeping couple were still displayed. Castiel sighed in his sleep and Dean ran his hands soothingly down the other man's sides.

"You _will_ fix this because otherwise I'm not airing it. That's a lot of money to waste, don't you think?"

"You can't do that."

"I'm sorry, did you forget I found your secret cameras? How do you imagine a judge would respond to that?"

Balthazar looked at the monitor a final time and Becky saw his expression briefly soften. Sure, the man was a shrewd producer and had occasionally dabbled on the wrong side of the law in the name of ratings, but he wasn't a bad guy.

She saw Balthazar force himself to turn away from the monitor though. There was too much at stake to lose to take a stand defending Dean's right to choose, she supposed.

"What would you suggest then, sir?" the producer said in a neutral tone.

* * *

><p><strong>I know Becky isn't exactly a fan favorite, but I think she has an element of charm and couldn't resist giving her a cameo. After all, who could ask for a better job than watching Dean, Sam and Cas all day?<strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey all! Thank you for all the reviews and alerts! I can't tell you how much that makes my day. I had originally meant this chapter to be much more angsty but it descended into fluff as you shall soon see.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

The Winchester family sat in their private living room. Sam perched tensely on the edge of the sofa like he was ready to bolt and Dean, the outward picture of confidence, slouched low in one of the stuffed chairs.

John Winchester surveyed the room with an expert's eye and moved to disable a camera concealed in a plant by the window. He ripped the wiring from the device with rather more gusto than was warranted.

Sam flinched.

"So, want to let me in on what's been happening boys?" he asked in a quiet voice that always indicated he knew _exactly_ what had been going on and was going to make them spell it painfully out.

Dean barely reacted to the question but Sam saw his nostrils flare. The simple tell spoke volumes of how his brother really felt under the mask of indifference he wore. Sam figured it was easier to act like he didn't care that admit he cared too much.

Sam could never stand awkward silences though and rushed to fill the gap. "Wow, Dad, where to start? I don't suppose anyone else filled you in?" he stammered.

John sat down and folded his fingers into a steeple. "Perhaps. I'd rather hear it from you though."

Their father looked at Dean as he said it, like he had forgotten it was Sam who spoke. Dean didn't say anything however and picked at a loose thread in the chair's lining.

Sam attempted to follow his older brother's strong-and-silent lead but the words spilled out anyway. Heart-to-hearts with John always made him nervous.

"Okay, to start, there's been cook-offs, snowball fights, I found someone to agree with me about Dean's naming talents, Gabriel ate all the chocolate in the house and I didn't get any, it turns out that Sarah likes tofu too, Dean rode a horse to the airport—" Sam was pretty sure he was just verbally vomiting now.

John's eyes flashed at the mention of Dean's late night ride. "Let's talk about your date, Dean. The one with Cas-tell."

"It's Castiel, Dad. Cas-tee-el. Like the angel," Dean said slowly and sat up a little straighter. It figured Dean would let Sam ramble on like an idiot but the moment Castiel's name got mispronounced he had something to say.

"Doesn't matter," John replied dismissively. "You're actually telling me that you live in a house surrounded by beautiful women and you still managed to end up on a date with a guy?"

Sam cleared his throat. "Technically, Dad, Castiel won the date. Dean picked his burger anonymously."

John glared at Dean regardless, like it was somehow his fault that both he and Cas liked bacon-cheeseburgers. "Fine, but that doesn't explain what he is _still_ doing here a week later. You do realize that I am in the middle of a campaign? You realize that this will all be _aired on national television_?"

Dean shrank further into the chair at that. If he slouched any harder, he might be in danger of disappearing into the fabric entirely.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

John stood up and leaned over his eldest. "Yes. You. Do." He tried to make eye contact but Dean steadfastly continued to unravel the chair's stitching like it was his own personal mission.

Sam was mildly shocked; normally Dean was the pleasant child, the peacemaker, the one who remained irrevocably on their father's side. His reticence was practically a full-scale rebellion in comparison.

"Dad. Leave him alone. He's doing the show like you asked, isn't he?" Sam moved to stand by his father but John never once glanced up. Seriously, it was like he was invisible.

John bared his teeth. Not used to defiance from his oldest son, his cheeks turned a bright red and a vein in his neck popped out. Surprisingly, when he spoke however, he voice remained unnaturally calm.

"Deny it all you want, Dean, but you _will_ swear to stay away from him, understand? Do you think openly associating with—Cas-tee-el—who, besides being a man, hasn't got a dime or accomplishment to his name and happens to possess the most embarrassing and obnoxious family I have ever met—is going to help repair your brother's image or this family's reputation?"

So that was it. His dad was going to play the family card. The one thing that could get to Dean like no other. Sarah was right though; Dean didn't need to spend any more time paying for Sam's mistakes.

Sam opened his mouth to tell Dean as much but at a hard look from his father, the words evaporated into thin air.

"Pick anyone you'd like, Dean, as long as it's not him," their father finished.

John paused then and his expression softened minutely. "Son, I know you've had it rough. After Mary's accident, life has been hard for all of us. You've had to grow up on your own and take care of Sam while I worked long hours. And you couldn't stop what happened to your brother last summer after Jessica died. I get it, I do. But this is not the time or place to indulge in your personal fantasies—family means sacrifice and if I know you, I know you'll do what's best for this family."

John didn't give Dean the option of saying no. He just walked out.

With an exhausted sigh, Dean leaned over to rest his head between his hands. "Well that went just perfect," he muttered.

Sam reached down to tentatively rest a hand on Dean's shoulders. "Don't listen to him Dean. If you like Castiel—"

Dean shrugged him off with a jerk though and glared up angrily. "And if I do, does that make any of the things Dad said less true?"

"That's the thing, Dean! He's wrong about this. I don't need you to—"

But Dean wasn't listening and cut Sam off before he could explain. "Why does it feel like I'm always choosing between what's best for you and being happy?" he asked in an exhausted sort of way.

"You don't have to. I would never ask that of you. I'm not ten anymore."

"Well I think the whole world knows you're not exactly an adult either, Sammy. Case in point, last summer. Someone's gotta look after you."

Sam's throat closed up. Dean never mentioned that summer, had never blamed him for the drugs. He'd visited Sam on a daily basis in rehab.

From his expression, Dean seemed to realize he'd gone too far but he didn't recant what he'd said either. He merely looked…resigned.

"I better get going," he sighed and stood up. "I'm expected to go on a one-on-one date with each of the remaining contestants over the next couple of days. Wish me luck," he added without any real enthusiasm and walked away, leaving Sam behind to wonder when his family had become so dysfunctional.

* * *

><p>Sam watched Dean play the part of the perfect son for two whole days and it was excruciating. It was like a switch had been flipped and Dean had gone into robot-mode, burying his real self under layers of distant politeness and not-quite-there smiles.<p>

Dean laughed at all of Ruby's scandalous jokes during their snowmobile ride to an abandoned mine that sat on the property and offered Lilith his jacket when she failed to bring one on their walk. Anna received a dozen roses at lunch and Dean even braved the library at Sarah's request and somehow managed to stumble through a semi-intelligent conversation about Jane Austen's various merits.

Sam tried his hardest to pretend that his gut didn't clench when Sarah laid her hand casually on Dean's shoulder. He _wanted_ to Dean to be happy after all, even if it was with her.

Sam had the advantage though of watching everything play out over the monitors. He hadn't expected that his attempt to worm his way into the camera room would be successful. However, a woman with a shiny ID badge and a set of unnaturally white teeth had practically squealed when he'd shown up at the door and yanked him quickly inside. And if she creepily stroked his arm while he studied Dean's dates, Sam pretended not to notice.

It seemed he was doing a lot of pretending lately.

In the end though, even if Dean had been an ass, he was still his brother and Sam knew that regardless of what had been said in the aftermath of their dad's arrival, that Dean would do anything for him, or be anything for him. It was time for that to change. Sam was clean, healthy and in a better place and it was Dean's turn to have someone look after _him_. Possibly two someones, if Castiel could be included.

And, after two straight days of letting Becky (yes, he'd eventually asked her name) molest his forearm and observing an epic case of fake-it-till-you-make-it, Sam was convinced that Castiel was exactly what Dean needed.

He's finally realized it sometime on the second afternoon as he watched Dean sit pleasantly through Bela's personal fashion show. She'd seriously tried on half her wardrobe and Dean had just sat there and let it happen. Which meant either A) he'd had a lobotomy without anyone noticing or B) he was so unhappy he didn't even have the energy to pitch a fit about being forced to give fashion advice. Either scenario was fairly terrifying.

Finally though, it came time for Dean's date with Castiel and Sam held his breath. Dean had waited by the barn, ready to give Cas a ride in his baby and right on cue, Castiel had shown up, wearing that blue shirt that matched his eyes. Dean's face lit up for the first time in forty-eight hours and the pair had both stared hopefully at each other for all of about one second before John burst onto the scene with a lady on each arm and demanded that Dean take them _all_ for a ride.

Becky groaned in disappointment at that one and Sam had had to agree.

Which was how Sam found himself asking Gabriel for Castiel's phone number. And that sounded all sorts of wrong when he thought about it too hard.

* * *

><p>Castiel was sprawled haphazardly over the bed as the downstairs clocked chimed the midnight hour. He'd barely seen Dean the past two days. It was like John Winchester had arrived and Dean became a stranger again.<p>

But if Dean needed space, Castiel was determined to give it to him. He remembered trying to tell Gabriel that he was gay; he'd agonized over it, practiced at least ten different conversations and taken Gabriel to his favorite candy shop just to discover that his brother had known he was gay all along and simply wanted to watch him sweat.

He still thought of the fifty bucks he's spent on candy that day with bitterness.

Castiel's phone buzzed in his pocket, interrupting him from his thoughts, and an unknown number flashed on the screen.

**Inbox: 303-555-5485**

**Meet me in the kitchen?**

It took him a moment to type out a reply. He always made sure to text in complete sentences with proper spelling.

**Sent: Castiel Novak**

**Who is this? I am unfamiliar with this number. **

There was no answering buzz though. Castiel turned the phone over curiously. Without consciously making a decision, he slipped into a pair of worn shoes and out into the hallway, latching the door behind him.

The kitchen was dark, but the moonlight streaming through the windows highlighted a silhouetted figure that sat at the counter.

"Dean?" Castiel asked, heart leaping into his chest.

The figure jerked suddenly, like it had been surprised and Castiel heard something splash onto the floor.

"Shit." Dean's unmistakable voice floated across the room. Castiel approached the counter to find Dean scowling at the chocolate cereal he'd spilled everywhere.

He shrugged. "Eh, just means I get to have another bowl now." He smirked over at Castiel. "Maybe I should get a bell for you."

"What?"

"You know," he gestured toward the floor, "in the name of protecting the world's Cocoa Pebbles or something."

"I do not require a bell."

"Of course not," Dean breezed, not really listening. He moved toward the counter and poured another bowl. "Want some, Cas?"

"Not at this hour."

"Your loss. What're you doing down here then if you're not craving a late night sugar high or trying to eat away the memory of a bunch of horrible dates?" His eyes swept over the tight Foreigner shirt that clung to Castiel's frame and his low-riding sweatpants. "Not that I mind," he added.

"I received a message to come to the kitchen." Castiel held up his phone in explanation.

Dean grabbed the device from him and scrolled through his messages. "Huh. And you thought it was from me?"

Castiel blushed. Maybe Dean hadn't actually wanted to see him and it had all been wishful thinking on his part. "It was from an unknown number…" he shuffled his feet nervously.

Dean looked on and understanding dawned across his face. "Hey, no, it wasn't me, but if I'd had your number, don't you think I would have asked you to meet me long before this? The past two days have been the absolute worst."

Castiel looked up into Dean's gaze. "You don't regret what happened between us?"

Dean flicked a pebble his way. "What did I tell you the first night you came here? No regrets." He abandoned the cereal box and wrapped Castiel in his arms.

Castiel sank into the warmth, reveling in Dean's particular scent. Now that he was with Dean again, he wasn't sure how he'd lasted the past two days. Castiel sighed with contentment and leaned up to kiss Dean. He saw Dean's eyes flick to a green light that flashed in the corner though.

"Sorry, Cas. Stupid cameras. What do you say we take this somewhere more private?"

Thoughts of a bedroom filled his mind. His or Dean's, it didn't matter.

Instead, Castiel found himself yanked into a closet that sat a couple feet from the kitchen counter. His back was pressed uncomfortably into a wall of shelves and he twisted around to come face to face with endless rows of tomato soup cans.

"A pantry isn't what most people think of when they hear 'let's take this somewhere more private', Dean."

"And most people are totally boring, what of it?" The other man grinned and ran his hands up and down Castiel's sides, lifting the hem of his t-shirt purposefully. "Do you know how hot you look in this? It's a shame I have to take it off," he said and smashed his mouth against Castiel's.

Dean was greedy, thrusting his tongue into Castiel's mouth and pinning him against the shelves. Castiel fought back though, rocking his hips forward to line up with Dean's. Both men gasped at the sensation and Castiel did it again, smirking against Dean's mouth.

"You're killing me, Cas."

"Don't die too soon. I'm not done yet."

Dean groaned and angled Castiel's head back for a deeper kiss. Castiel reached around to clutch Dean's ass and squeezed. The other man paused in his attempt to lick his way down Castiel's neck, caught up in the sensation. Castiel took the opportunity to flip them around and slammed Dean against the side of the pantry.

The walls shook with the impact and cans crashed to the floor around them. A bag of flour on the top shelf tipped over and dusted them with white powder. Castiel clamped his eyes shut guiltily.

Dean only laughed though and swiped his tongue across Castiel's cheek, tasting the flour. "Mmmm. Can you imagine if it had been powdered sugar?" he asked cockily. Castiel looked up at the top shelf where a smaller bag sat by the first.

"That can be arranged," he said and slammed Dean against the shelf again. A second white coat crashed down around them.

"You bastard," Dean said as Castiel grinned wickedly. He didn't complain though when he reached over to kiss the other man and was meet with sweet flavor. He moaned.

"Now I have to reevaluate whether Cocoa Pebbles _are_ actually the best tasting thing in the universe. This is coming pretty close."

"You're telling me I come in second compared to _cereal_?"

"I didn't say I couldn't fix it." Castiel blinked and Dean had grabbed a bottle of chocolate syrup. He ducked instinctively but Dean didn't miss and upended the bottle right over Castiel's hair.

Dean eyed his work. "Better." A bag full of cashews instantly smacked him.

Castiel was very busy over the next few minutes. Apparently, under Dean's influence, his maturity had regressed into that of a five-year-old. If Gabriel could have seen him chucking M&Ms across the pantry or slipping on rice as it spilled over the floor, he would have been proud.

"Is that a chocolate chip in your eyebrow?" Dean grinned.

"Says the man coated with pancake syrup and raisins."

"Maybe you should be a chef, Cas. I'm delicious. And I actually mean that literally tonight."

Castiel kissed him softly and grimaced as his lips stuck to the other man's and he had to peel himself away.

"Go take a shower, Dean."

"Nah. I haven't finished my bowl of cereal yet. Changed your mind yet? They're full of sugary goodness and happiness and shit."

Castiel shrugged and pulled a marshmallow from his ear. "Sure."

* * *

><p><strong>I might have been hungry when I wrote this:)<strong>


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey all! **

**Thanks once again for all the wonderful feedback! **

**Disclaimer: Surprise, surprise! I do not own Supernatural. I might own a horse named Impala though;)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

"Okay, troops, I've got a game plan." Sam rubbed his hands together and surveyed his forces.

"Can I object? Is this a democracy? Because if it is, I motion for a different team name. I'm too fabulous to be called a _troop_."

Sam knew it was a mistake to invite Gabriel along.

"I second that," Sarah chimed in, raising her hand guiltily. She rolled her eyes at Sam's betrayed expression. "Oh, c'mon, Sam, you've obviously spent too much time watching man movies. Do we look like troops to you?"

They didn't. Not unless today's modern armies wore pink fedoras and gold eyeliner. And he wasn't talking about Sarah either.

"Uggg. Fine. We're wasting time, but whatever, get on with the name choosing."

Gabriel's face lit up. "The Gay Squad! Castiel's Angels! Balls N' Dolls" he screamed.

Sam contemplated him. "First of all—hell no. Not in a million years. Second, can you take off the hat thing? It's distracting."

Gabriel caressed the fedora's brim and smacked a kiss Sam's direction. "Makes me hard to resist, huh Sammy?"

Sarah looked at him seriously. "Are you even gay?"

"Honey, I don't discriminate." He waggled his eyebrows and ran his fingers down her arm suggestively. Sarah giggled and Sam threw up in his mouth a little.

"Well if no one else has a realistic suggestion…" Gabriel looked offended.

"Team Free Dean. TFD."

Both Gabriel and Sam looked over at Sarah.

"Well, as long as we can put the initials in sparkles on the t-shirts, I can live with that."

Sam groaned but nodded his ascent and they got to work.

"So here's the thing," he leaned in secretively, "Dean has a couple things working against him. First, he's as thick as a brick—"

"I second that motion!"

"It wasn't a motion, Gabe, geez."

"It felt like someone should second that though. Am I wrong?"

"Anyway," Sam continued, "the second problem is that Dean has absolutely no idea how to fight for what he wants. Not as long as our dad is in the picture at least. As evidenced by my experiment last night, all he needs though is a…shove in the right direction. That's where we come in."

"You mean that's where Team Free Dean comes in." Sarah and Gabriel high-fived.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Team Free Dean. The point is, I think we should attack this from three separate angles. You all remember that the big family-meet-n-greet is tomorrow night? Sarah, can you handle the other contestants?"

She saluted. Seriously, Sam wasn't sure how he'd gotten lucky enough to have a girl like her actually like him back. He'd shown up at her room late the previous night with a hand written message about his plan (he'd learned to be extra careful of the cameras) and she'd immediately agreed, no questions asked.

Then Sam, being himself, had wanted to talk about his feelings. To his delight, Sarah had admitted in a whisper that she liked him. She liked Dean too, but just not in that way, which made Sam incredibly happy of course. He only wished that he could have kissed her right then and there in front of the cameras.

"Hey! Earth to Sam! What about me?" Gabriel waved a hand in front of his face.

"Uh, right. Just be yourself Gabe."

"What? I don't get a special assignment?"

"You don't need one. You're annoying enough au natural—no improvement necessary. Your personality alone will drive both the contestants and my father away."

"I'm not sure whether to be offended or flattered."

"Just get my dad out of the picture whenever possible. Can you do that?"

"I want Bela. Give me Bela. Do you know what I could do to her? The pranks I could play…"

"That's the thing," Sam interrupted. "We want Bela to leave the show, but we also want her to _survive_ the show," he emphasized.

"Fair enough," Gabriel shrugged.

"Sarah will let you know if there's anything you can do, right Sarah?"

Sarah nodded eagerly. "Of course, Gabriel. I already think Cas is the greatest so now I'll get to know both Novaks!"

"Baby, if you think Cas—socially retarded Cas—is fine, I'm gonna friggin' rock your world."

Sam slapped his hand on the end table to get their attention. "Gabe! Can you not speak to my…ermmm…friend like that?" he mumbled.

Sarah smiled slyly. "I'm your what? Can you say that again? I think I missed it."

Sam felt a rush of heat in his cheeks. "You know, my uh, girlfriend sort of, I guess. I'd like you to be. Only if you want to though!" he stammered.

Sarah's eyes twinkled but before she could reply, Gabriel leaped to his feet.

"I completely forgot! How could I forget? There has to be a camera in here. We're so screwed." He searched around frantically for the device, probably with the intention of yelling into it at the production crew.

Sam sat back in his seat and savored the rare moment when he was a step ahead of Gabriel. "Relax, Gabe. I got it covered."

"You? Sam Winchester?" Gabriel eyed Sam suspiciously, like he found him severely lacking in the whole cunning and mischievous department.

"I know people."

"No, _I_ know people. Who exactly do you think you know?"

Sam looked down at his shoes. "Becky Rosen."

"Becky? Becky is your ace in the hole? Look, I know Becky in, ahem, let's just say multiple senses," he smirked, "and that girl is a gossip if I've ever met one. Again, I repeat: We're screwed."

"Nope. She's erasing this footage as we speak. Becky and I have a deal."

Gabriel stared, horrified. "You sold your soul, didn't you?"

"What is wrong with you? No, I didn't sell my soul! I agreed, after this is all over, I'd take her on…" he looked at Sarah guiltily, "a date. Maybe a couple dates."

Sarah slapped her thigh. "You are so totally winning the award for best boyfriend ever, Sam. How did you guess I was secretly hoping you'd ask me to go steady and then announce that you have plans with another girl?"

Sam was sure she was kidding. Like ninety-percent sure.

Gabriel appeared stunned and then intrigued. "That's rather devious of you, Samuel Winchester. I have to admit I'm impressed."

"I have my moments."

Suddenly, Gabriel whipped off his fedora and got down on one knee. "Sam, I want you to know that I've never felt this way about anyone before and I know this is probably too soon, but I'd like to ask you to be my BFF."

It took Sam about thirty seconds of an uncomfortable staring match to realize he was serious.

"That's, umm, too kind of you," he coughed. "Seriously. I couldn't possibly accept such an offer. Like I really can't, so you'd better get up or something."

"Nope, too late. I've decided—welcome to being my best friend! Get ready for the never-ending awesomeness." And without further ado, he plunked the hat on Sam's unwilling head.

Sam hoped Sarah would come to his defense but she leaned back, contemplative. "Pink is a sexy color on you, Samuel."

Apparently he wasn't going to get a choice in this. And if the whole ordeal wasn't already awkward enough, Gabriel proceeded to hug the stuffing out of him and yell stuff about how he'd never regret this. Sam gasped for air.

"By the way, now that that's settled, what exactly is _your_ job?" Sarah asked after Gabriel finally released him.

"Dean. Somehow I have to convince Dean that I'm a normal, healthy, well-adjusted human being that doesn't need his older brother to make everything okay for him twenty-four-seven and that it's okay for him to pursue his own happiness."

Gabriel snorted. "Yeah right. Good luck kiddo."

"I can revoke your BFF status. Don't tempt me."

"Nah. You love me too much. I complete you." He made a little heart with his hands.

"I'd like to pass a motion to revoke Gabe's talking privileges."

Finally Sarah agreed with him. The motion passed two to one.

* * *

><p>Castiel was confused. It seemed to be a perpetual state of existence whenever Dean was involved.<p>

After multiple and rather unsuccessful showers, he'd eventually given up and gone to sleep with crusted chocolate syrup in his hair and his last conscious thought had been of Dean's face when he'd stuffed a handful of granola down his shirt.

However, at breakfast the following morning, Dean had barely acknowledged Castiel. He'd sat by his dad and moved his sausage around his plate without actually eating anything. Castiel wondered if he was imagining it, but even Sam had raised an eyebrow in confusion and left the table with a last odd look at his older brother.

Castiel had excused himself not long after that, only to be shoved into a closet in the entrance hall and subjected to an impromptu make-out session with Dean himself. Through hasty kisses, Dean had whispered something about there not being cameras in the coat closets and disappeared just as quickly as he had come, leaving Castiel unsatisfied and flustered.

It continued like that for the rest of the day; Dean acted like he didn't exist one minute and in the next, he was desperately affectionate. If Castiel were more socially adept, he supposed he might be able to discern the cause of Dean's behavior, but since he couldn't, he found himself doing the unthinkable—searching out Gabriel for dating advice.

He eventually found his brother giggling to himself in the sunroom. The entire room was made of windows and winter sunlight warmed the area. A small fountain gurgled in one corner, creating a peaceful effect.

Gabriel sat cross-legged on one of the low couches with his back to the door, phone out and fingers flying over the keyboard. Castiel snuck silently behind his brother and stole a glance over his shoulder.

"Who're you texting?" he asked suspiciously. Gabriel was always up to something, so it never hurt to be suspicious of even the most innocent acts.

Proving him right, Gabriel practically leapt into the air at the sound of his voice and snapped his phone shut. "I hate it when you do that, Cas!"

"Who are you texting?" Castiel repeated.

"What are you doing here?" Gabriel twitched, hand clamped around his phone like was afraid Castiel might try to rip it from him.

"Looking for you."

A smile swept across his brother's face. "Awww now ain't that sweet." He stretched his arm across the back of the sofa and patted the space beside him. Castiel sat down on the edge of the cushion. "What can I do for ya, Cassie?"

Now that he had Gabriel's attention, he struggled with what to say. "Dean Winchester is…a very frustrating individual," he stated finally.

"And?" Gabriel prompted.

"And I find myself unsure how to proceed."

Gabriel clapped his hands together. "After years of rejecting and judging my whorish ways, am I hearing you ask for dating advice?" He was practically vibrating with delight.

"I knew this was a mistake." Castiel moved to get up but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Nuh-uh. You do not get to start this conversation and then stop it before I get to give my professional opinion. I only have one question though: Have you had sex yet?"

Castiel groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is so embarrassing."

"Well, have you?"

"No."

"Good!" Castiel sat up, surprised. He had never known Gabriel to be pro-chastity. Considering his brother's rather vigorous and varied sex life, he wasn't even sure Gabriel knew what chastity was.

"What do you mean?" he asked, suspicious again.

"I just mean, don't give Dean-o what he wants until he behaves himself."

"That sounds like using sex as a weapon."

"Motivation, weapon, call it what you want."

"So that's it. That's your awesome advice. Withhold sex until Dean behaves as I desire?"

"Aren't you glad you asked me for help?" Gabriel said smugly. His phone buzzed in his hand but he ignored it.

"Thank you once again for your wisdom, older brother. I should have called Michael."

"Hey, now you're just trying to hurt my feelings. We both know Michael's a bitch and I'm your favorite." Gabriel stood and walked to the corner of the room "Cas, check this out."

Ruby stood by the pool house, towel in hand, shivering in a bikini and repeatedly checking her phone. After a couple minutes, she threw her towel on the ground and stomped back toward the house with a foul expression.

"What was that?" Castiel asked.

"Oh, she's on a date," Gabriel said vaguely. "She appears to have been stood up though. Isn't that the worst?" He didn't sound very upset to Castiel's ears however.

"Perhaps Dean got held up?" Castiel hated the fact that he had to sit around while Dean went on other dates, even if they didn't mean anything to him.

"Just makes you want to leave the show doesn't it?" Gabriel mused, mouth curving into a wicked smile. His unanswered phone continued to buzz.

"Aren't you going to take that?"

"Nope."

Castiel had been right, Gabriel was definitely up to something. He crossed his fingers and hoped it was legal.

* * *

><p>Bela was happy with herself. Thrilled to be more exact. She was certain she had Dean feeding out of the palm of her hand.<p>

Sure, things hadn't gone exactly as she'd planned. She hadn't counted on Dean seeing through her lie about Castiel nor had she expected the guy to freaking chase after him. But, in the end, she was going to win.

Dean had practically drooled over her "fashion" show yesterday. She'd seen the look in his eyes after she tried on her mini-skirt collection. She had been with too many men not to recognize lust when she saw it. Heck, the guy was so entranced he'd barely said anything. A woman knew she was on her game when a man was rendered speechless after all.

So, in light of everything that had happened, who could blame her if she swaggered a little as she made her way up to her room to change for the evening's activities? Swaggers were sexy.

A package sat waiting for her on the bed when she entered. A card was attached and her smile grew exponentially as she read the message inside.

_Bela,_

_I can't stop thinking about you. Do you know how sexy you are? Those mini-skirts alone are enough to drive a man crazy._

_Since you were generous enough to give me such a show, I thought it only fair to grace you with a little something that turns me on. Perhaps you would be willing to wear it? _

_Wear it to the meet-n-greet tonight. It'll be our little secret. _

_Dean_

Bela opened the gift and ran her fingers over the fabric. Sure, it was a little unusual, but Dean wasn't an average guy, right?

Sarah sat next to Becky in the camera room and both girls grinned as they watched Bela open her gift. Bela's overconfidence was her weakness and Sarah had played to that beautifully, if she said so herself.

"What if Dean actually likes that get-up?" Becky asked.

"You really think, after watching Dean constantly for weeks now, that Dean notices clothes?"

"Not unless Castiel is wearing them, at any rate."

"Exactly." They laughed with each other.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello hello! Besides April being the craziest month for school stuff, this chapter just did not want to be written! However, inspiration finally struck and here you go!**

**If you enjoy it, please review. I LOVE hearing from you! Good stuff and stuff to improve upon:) **

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><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

A member from each contestant's family had been invited to attend the night's dinner and at precisely six o'clock that evening, Castiel walked downstairs to collect his second oldest brother. He had originally asked Michael to come but Michael was busy that evening and Lucifer had volunteered in his stead.

Castiel supposed that the idea of introducing the Winchesters to their relatives might be a cause for anxiety among some contestants, but Dean had already met Gabriel. The worst was over. Probably. One could hope at any rate.

Expecting some sort of receiving line as the guests arrived, Castiel was surprised to walk into…well, a mess. People were everywhere and the buzz of a dozen different conversations echoed across the arched ceilings. Thus, it took him a moment to discern that the cries and shouts he was hearing were not actually the happy reunions of people greeting their loved ones.

Instead, there seemed to be an air of general confusion and Castiel caught snippets of strained exchanges as he worked his way through the crowd.

"Mom was supposed to come to this—what the hell are you doing here?"

"No, you're not forgiven! Have you forgotten what you did during dinner last Christmas?"

"Uncle Uriel, no one thinks being a racist is funny anymore. You can't go around calling people 'mud monkeys'."

It was very strange, Castiel thought as he scanned the crowd for his own guest. He passed a man with bizarre yellow contacts and another whose breath smelled strongly of whiskey. Only Sarah looked mildly pleased to see a woman who, from the matching wavy hair, must have been her sister.

However, before he could come to any sort of conclusion, a hand grabbed his elbow and spun him around. Gabriel's face swam into focus.

"Present!" he said cheerily.

"What?"

"You need a family member for this, right? Present and accounted for!" He gestured to himself with flair.

"Oh hell no." The obscenity escaped Castiel before he could restrain himself.

Gabriel looked at him pointedly. "Cassie, are you ashamed of me?"

"Am I allowed to be honest about that?"

Gabriel crossed his arms and pouted. "I didn't get an invitation," he said sulkily.

"That would be because you weren't invited. I'm actually trying to make a good impression." Castiel scanned the crowd once again for a sign of Lucifer.

"It's a shame Lucy couldn't make it tonight then," Gabriel sang in that special voice he saved for when he knew something Castiel didn't. He pulled a letter from an inner pocket and Castiel saw his own scrawl etched across the address label.

Gabriel passed the un-mailed invitation back to his brother, his smile stretching wide. "Guess someone forgot to mail this. Now you'll _have_ to invite me!"

Castiel proceeded to act entirely unconcerned. "Good thing I called last week to invite Lucifer myself then. You know, just in case."

The corners of Gabriel's mouth turned down in a frown. "I can't decide, brother dear, whether I'm proud you finally pulled one over on me or whether I'm just really really annoyed."

"Well, I'll leave you to your thoughts then—" The more he tried to extract himself though, the harder Gabriel clung to his arm.

"Now just a sec. Answer one thing for me," Gabriel said, ignoring Castiel's subsequent groan. "If Lucy wasn't coming, would I be next in line? You know, heir to the dinner party invite or whatever?"

"There's still Zachariah."

"Cas!" He stomped his foot in indignation. "Exactly how far down the list of acceptable family members am I?"

Castiel snorted. "It's rather endearing that you think you're on the list. Mostly because I don't believe I have ever used the terms 'Gabriel' and 'not embarrassing' in the same sentence before."

"That was low, Cas. It's a good thing I'm willing to forgive you if you bring me to dinner."

At that, Castiel finally spotted Lucifer's red locks over the heads of the other guests. "Keeping dreaming, Gabriel," he said and walked over to greet his other brother.

"Not being invited hasn't stopped me before!" Gabriel yelled to his back. Even though Castiel knew it would probably backfire on him spectacularly, he chose to ignore Gabriel.

* * *

><p>It was good to see Lucifer, Castiel decided. The man had come dressed in all black, even sporting a silk black tie. It had been a long time since the family had been together.<p>

The great thing about hanging out with Luc was the silence. Lucifer didn't try to chat his ear off or offer pointless advice or talk him into participating on stupid dating shows.

"Where's our favorite brother anyway?" Lucifer asked, like he had read Castiel's mind as they filed into the ballroom. A long mahogany table stretched across the expanse and delicate white china was placed in front of each seat.

"I'd rather not know where he is. I'd prefer to pretend that he's off participating in legal, healthy pastimes instead of calculating how to crash our dinner party."

"Sounds amusing. The party crashing, not the healthy pastimes I mean," Lucifer said thoughtfully with a slight glint in his eye.

Castiel was suddenly reminded again of why he was completely okay with only seeing his brothers at the holidays. Whereas Gabriel's mischievous streak ran flashy and obvious, Lucifer's was a slow and steady undercurrent that always took one by surprise.

They sat down and Castiel was shocked to find that they were sitting at the same end of the table as the Winchesters. He had almost expected John Winchester to seat him in another room entirely. In fact, noticing Castiel's close proximity with a scowl, John looked like he was contemplating that very thing.

Deprived of their normal flannel shirts, both Dean and Sam looked uncomfortable. Sam picked absently at his tie and Dean stared at his cuff links like they had personally offended him. As for Castiel however, he couldn't complain about the sight of Dean Winchester in a tux and bowtie. He subconsciously straightened his own loose tie as Lucifer watched him with something approaching amusement.

"You okay there, Cas?" he whispered. "You're looking a little flushed." Luc raised an eyebrow and glanced back toward Dean.

"Shut up Lucy."

"Don't call me that. It's already bad enough Gabe does it."

"Then shut up." They fell into an awkward silence as Lucifer tried unsuccessfully to suppress his grin. Castiel kept willing Dean to look up at him but, for all intents and purposes, the man was absorbed in his chaffing links.

A single empty spot remained at the table; Bela Talbot had yet to arrive. However, before Castiel could more than guess her whereabouts, the mystery was solved when the door at the far end of the room creaked open. Castiel felt his mouth drop.

Bela walked into the room decked out in full military camouflage. Sure, she had done her hair in a fancy up-do, but everything else was one hundred percent straight-out-of-boot-camp gear, right down to the tan colored combat boots. All she needed was a rifle slung across her back and some sort of tacky "I frickin' love the second amendment" shoulder patch.

Castiel bit down on his lip to keep from laughing and he suspected several other people were guilty of doing the same. Both Sam and Sarah had turned beet red and Sarah clutched at her sides like she might burst into hysterics if she didn't physically contain it. John Winchester appeared to be strangling his silverware.

Bela, oblivious to the stifled hysteria, attempted to flash Dean her best seductive smile as she strolled to her seat. Unfortunately, she hadn't counted on the fact that she would be competing with a pair of too-tight cuff links for Dean's attention. The cuff links won.

Lucifer nudged Castiel in the side. "Do you feel overdressed? I feel overdressed." Castiel brought up his napkin to hide his grin. He had no idea what was going on, but if he hadn't believed in miracles before, he did now. Someone up there had a sense of justice at any rate.

It was Sam who broke the strained silence. He slung an arm around Dean, who looked up, startled. "So, Bela, didja kill us anything good for dinner?"

Castiel figured the night could only improve after Bela attempted to throttle Sam across the dinner table.

* * *

><p>John Winchester made a valiant effort to get the night back on track and clinked his wine glass. "To family and new friends," he toasted and took a rather large gulp.<p>

A fleet of waiters produced the first course and the Winchesters were subsequently introduced to the weirdest batch of people Castiel had ever met, his own family included.

For starters, the guests didn't look like people you would present to a prospective husband. Ruby's guest had a wild grey beard, wore an oversized coat and appeared to be pocketing the dinner rolls.

John Winchester seemed just as puzzled by the guest selection. "So, let me get this straight, Azazel," he said to sallow man with yellow irises, "you're Lilith's second cousin twice removed? Do those even exist?"

Not waiting for an answer, he twisted around. "And you are," John pointed to a balding man who was in the middle of calling his neighbor a mud-monkey, "Anna's step-uncle? You're sure I got that right?" he said, like he hoped someone would stand up and yell, "just kidding!"

The contestants replied in a flustered sort of way that somehow the invitations must have gotten confused. John ran his fingers through his hair and drained half his wine glass.

Dean had finally abandoned his attempt at being comfortable in a suit though and perked up. He nudged his father. "Dad, Castiel brought one of his brothers. _His brother_," he repeated with a special emphasis on the very normal term.

Castiel felt a surge of hope flare within him. Here was his chance to at least win a little of John's approval. He chanced a conspiratorial look at Dean while John turned resolutely towards Lucifer.

"His brother, really? As in an actual related brother who's not a crazy talk show host?"

"Hey, we can't all be daytime television personalities. Some of us have got to live in the real world," Lucifer said with a grin and held out his hand.

John gifted Luc his first sincere smile of the evening. "Right you are. What did you say your name was again?"

"Lucifer."

"Very funny. I appreciate a man with a sense of humor."

"No, that's actually my name," Lucifer said nonchalantly. "Michael, Zachariah, Gabriel, Castiel and I'm Lucifer."

There was a long pause. "So you're telling me you're named after the devil?" John deadpanned.

"Well, I wouldn't swear to it on a Bible or anything…" Lucifer said and cracked a wicked grin like he had been waiting all evening for just the right moment to tell everyone he was the devil's namesake. Castiel kicked him under the table.

John looked lost for words and glared at Dean instead. Dean shrugged and Lucifer's smile widened. So much for Castiel being any sort of normal. He kicked Lucifer again for good measure.

John immediately returned to pretending they didn't exist, but Dean offered a hand to Luc. "I feel like I should thank you, man. Meeting Castiel's family is like the best entertainment ever. Every time I meet one of you all is like Christmas freaking morning."

Castiel frowned at him. "You must not have received very good Christmas presents as a child, Dean."

"Or I'm just that awesome," Lucifer supplied unhelpfully. "I like you," he said to Dean. "You're good for Castiel."

Dean blushed and glanced toward his father, who was still engrossed in another bizarre introduction.

"Yeah, well, visa versa. He's good for me too," he said lowly and looked up through his eyelashes at Castiel.

Suddenly the room felt very hot and Castiel was worried that he would simply disregard what Dean's father thought and sweep the man into a kiss right there at the table. He cleared his throat instead and blurted, "So how was your day, Dean?"

Dean chuckled like he knew what Castiel was doing but played along. "It was fine," he started, but suddenly his expression darkened. "No, scratch that. Did you know I've been slapped by three different women today?"

Lucifer whistled. "If only I was that lucky," he said suggestively and Castiel tried not to remember the brief scenes he'd accidentally witnessed of his brother's kinky love life. Seriously, what was wrong with his family?

"Yeah, well, not that I haven't deserved the occasional slap, but Lilith screamed at me for a good fifteen minutes something about standing her up and Anna and Ruby did the same."

Castiel recalled his time with Gabriel. "I actually witnessed Ruby waiting outside the pool house earlier this afternoon. Are you sure you didn't forget?"

"No!" Dean exclaimed. "That's the crazy thing. I know for a fact there wasn't anything scheduled for today. Double-checked it. I spent the day thrashing Sam at Mario Kart. And, well, getting slapped," he added and rubbed his cheek at the memory.

Lucifer looked thoughtful. "Huh. That kind of sounds like something Gabriel—"

_Would think was funny,_ Castiel finished silently with a sinking feeling and wondered again who Gabriel had been texting. He should have insisted on seeing the phone.

Lucifer, realizing what he was about to say, stopped himself. His brothers might be obnoxious in many ways, but they weren't snitches. "I mean, perhaps someone changed the schedule without you knowing?"

"Doubtful," Dean replied, still rubbing his cheek.

Castiel cringed inwardly. He had to tell Dean. The mixed-up guest list, Bela's outfit and Dean's slap-fest were just too big of a coincidence.

He leaned forward. "Dean, I think I might have an explan—" But the ballroom doors flew open before he could finish.

"Speak of the devil…" Lucifer said with no small amount of irony. Gabriel strolled in, dressed in a chef's costume, carrying the dessert.

"And now the real party begins!" Gabriel cried and raised what looked to be a platter of cherries jubilee over his head.

"You're not the party," Castiel, Dean and Lucifer shot back automatically. It was getting to be a thing.

"Isn't the chef supposed to do that?" John asked with suspicion as Gabriel whipped out a set of matches to light the dessert.

"I _am_ a chef. I have a hat." It was true; while it was definitely stolen, Gabriel did indeed sport a chef's toque.

Gabriel threw the matches aside however. "I find that ordinary means of starting a fire are rather boring, don't you?"

Most of the guests stared back in bewilderment. Castiel noticed however that Sam was making a cut-it-out gesture underneath the table.

Gabriel noticed Sam but it didn't deter him in the slightest. "Flame on!" he yelled and sparks shot from his fingertips.

While some of the guests oohed and aahed, Castiel and Lucifer scanned the room for a fire extinguisher. After growing up with Gabriel, Castiel sort of prided himself on his ability to locate the nearest one in mere seconds.

Dean leaned over to whisper, "Does he know what he's doing?"

"Not unless he taught himself magic in the last twenty-four hours," Castiel replied tersely. Dean started yanking at his cuff links again. Castiel figured he didn't want to die in them.

"And now for the big shebang! Are you ready for this?" He moved the platter directly in front of John.

"What are you—" John started to say but a loud whooshing noise erupted from Gabriel's sleeves and four-foot flames shot out toward the dessert. Guests screamed and toppled off of their chairs and Castiel bolted toward the fire extinguisher.

In one way, Gabriel's magic trick was a success; the cherries jubilee was on fire. Unfortunately, so was John Winchester.

Castiel yanked the pin from the fire extinguisher and soon John was also covered in flame retardant foam. The good news was that he wasn't on fire anymore.

No dared to speak as John wiped the white cream from his face. His eyes darted between all three Novaks, like he couldn't decide which one he would like to kill first. He'd probably give Bela that gun for her costume and let her loose with them, Castiel decided.

To everyone's surprise however, Anna threw down her napkin and announced she was quitting. "Being with Dean is not worth…this." She gestured toward where Castiel stood guiltily as the fire extinguisher leaked the last of its spray and where Gabriel was checking his coat sleeves like he couldn't understand what had gone wrong.

"I choose to live," she said and stormed out of the room, hauling her step-uncle with her. Lilith flipped Dean off and followed her out.

The silence after that might have stretched indefinitely if Dean hadn't burst out laughing and wiped a trail of foam from one of his father's singed eyebrows. "Well, now you _have_ to like Castiel, Dad. He just saved your life."

* * *

><p>Team Free Dean had an emergency meeting in the wine cellar later that night.<p>

"Would you prefer hanging or suffocation?" Sam asked Gabriel coolly. Gabriel had been placed on a chair of shame in the middle of the room.

"Are you kidding? That was awesome. If I had a second go at it I'm sure I could—Look, you told me to be myself! I'm magical! Named after an archangel, remember?"

Both Sam and Sarah were not amused. "Gabe," Sarah said, "we rigged all that stuff so that Cas would look like Dean's best option compared to everyone else! Do you know how hard it was to get that camo gear on short notice?"

"Not to mention the effort I had to put into tracking down each contestant's most embarrassing family member?" Sam added.

"But I created all the fake-dates!" Gabriel reminded them.

"And then you ruined it by setting my dad on fire," Sam retorted.

"It's true that was an unintended side effect…"

Sarah placed a hand on Sam's shoulder to keep him from punching Gabriel. At that, Gabriel at least had the decency to start looking remorseful.

"I'm sorry, Sam. You can revoke my BFF status if you want. It's only fair," he hung his head and Sam was reminded strongly of a guilty puppy.

"No, uhh, I'm not gonna do that," he sighed after a moment, "but you can't set people on fire, okay? Could you just try to follow my lead?"

Gabriel nodded his assent, still downcast. Sam rolled his eyes and wondered why _he_ was the one feeling guilty. He placed a hand on Gabriel's shoulder and the sandy haired man looked up hopefully.

"Still besties?"

"Don't use that term ever again, but yeah, you've kinda grown on me."

Sarah sighed. "Well, even if tonight wasn't perfect, wasn't it sort of a victory anyway? They can't even have the scheduled elimination because Anna and Lilith quit and, in case you forgot, that was kind of the goal in the first place."

"So…that means?" Sam tried to put it together.

"It means that while Cas's family still looks batshit crazy…so does everyone else's. I think we can safely call tonight a tie."

All three members nodded their agreement.

Gabriel clapped. "So does that mean Cas made it to the final four? You, Bela, him and Ruby?" he asked.

"I guess, but I don't think you should really count me." Sarah slid her hand into Sam's.

"Gotcha—but listen, that means were headed to the beach right? Because I happened to own a speedo…"

Sarah offered him a celebratory high-five.


	18. Chapter 18

**Okay! Just a couple more chapters to go here! I seriously cannot believe I wrote this much. I think I thought this was going to be somewhere around 10,000 words haha. Turned out to be kinda ambitious for a first story considering I've never written anything before! You all made it worth it to write this though!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

Much to everyone's disappointment, they didn't take the private jet. John had abducted it the night before when he had been called back to Washington suddenly. No one other than Bela looked remotely sad to see him go, but he promised to meet them all at the resort the following evening regardless to film the finale.

Castiel wondered if the other senators would notice that his eyebrows were missing. Gabriel claimed that some people actually looked better without eyebrows and he had done John a favor.

However, after spending nearly three hours crammed in economy seating, Castiel almost wished John Winchester hadn't left. Almost. Knees drawn up to his chest defensively, he sat slumped between two wailing children. Three, if Gabriel kicking the back of his seat from the row behind counted.

He supposed, after all the antics his family had pulled, he was due for a round of bad karma.

His one comfort was that the rest of the group was stranded in economy seating as well. Bela tapped her leg nervously and had her arms tightly crossed, as if she could avoid any possible lower class cooties by decreasing her surface area. Ruby and Sarah were fast asleep however, and, as Gabriel kicked his seat again, Castiel envied them their unknowing bliss.

Castiel had originally hoped to sit in the double seat by Dean, but had been thwarted by Sam, who claimed he needed some brotherly bonding time. Castiel really had no idea what that meant, unless it was Sam's secret way of saying he wished to try to suffocate his brother through the weight of his superior body mass. The two Winchesters had been stuffed into the back corner of the plane and Dean sat, squashed, against the window, shooting daggers at Sam, who had taken up the better portion of the two seats.

Suddenly, the children wiping snot on his pant leg didn't seem so bad to Castiel.

It was time to talk with Dean though. Even if Gabriel hadn't been much help in the dating advice arena, Castiel had had plenty of time to think over the past couple of days.

As much as he wanted to, he couldn't force Dean to tell his father about the two of them. There was too much at stake for Dean—he could lose his relationship with his only parent if John couldn't handle the idea of his son being with another man. Castiel had never had a real parent and he wasn't about to ask Dean to sacrifice his.

However, he also had no intention of spending the rest of his life being shoved into a pantry in order to kiss the man he loved. He had enough self-respect to blanch at that option.

In the end, the decision would have to be up to Dean. Castiel knew he loved the man and if Dean let him, he would stay by his side forever, but Dean would have to choose that. He could either have Castiel fully and completely, or he could let him go. It was really the only way Castiel could live with himself: He was not, nor ever would be someone's dirty little secret.

He glanced back through the rows at Dean again and his gut clenched. It would kill him to leave the man, but if that was what it came to, he would do it, his own heart be damned.

* * *

><p>"I can't breathe, Sam."<p>

"Dude, you're such a drama queen."

"I'd say something sarcastic in reply, but I just ran out of air."

Sam tried to shuffle over into the aisle. It wasn't his fault that he was perhaps a shade taller than most men.

Dean huffed. "You're trying to justify the fact that you grew into a man-crushing giant again, aren't you?"

"Jerk."

"Bitch." Sam noted that some of the color had returned to Dean's cheeks however after he moved over.

Dean groaned. "So, can you tell me why I'm sitting here with you, being squashed, when I could be sitting by Cas, who happens to be smaller and much more comfortable?"

"Okay, don't freak on me here, but I wanted to talk."

"You wanted to talk? You are so gay, Sammy."

"Well, hey, now that you've brought up the subject…"

"Nuh-uh. That is not a subject. That is just a plain, old-fashioned insult."

"Let's talk about you and Cas," Sam said calmly. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

"Nope." Dean extracted his arms from where they were pinned at his sides and managed to cross them.

Sam sighed. "Just remember you forced my hand, okay?" He proceeded to pull out his phone and whip through his videos.

Sam knew his brother wouldn't be able to resist. Sure enough, Dean leaned over to look at the screen. Sam studied Dean's expression as it dawned on him that what he was watching wasn't static; it was powdered sugar.

"You can't…it's not possible…I checked for a camera…" he sputtered.

"Yeah, yeah. Kinda hard to check very thoroughly when your lips are locked with lover boy's though. The chocolate syrup was really a nice touch, if I do say so myself."

Dean didn't say anything for a long time. Sam wondered if he was going into shock and he should get him to breathe through his nose or cover him with a blanket or something.

He elbowed Dean in the side instead. "Dean, it's okay. You like Cas and that's fine. Do you really think I would care? I already told you I didn't."

"Does Dad know?" Dean asked quietly.

"No, no of course not. I, umm, made friends with a girl on the editing staff. She isn't going to show anyone."

Dean seemed to collect himself a little at that. "And how did you pull that one off?"

"Well, I might have agreed—"

"You sold your soul, didn't you?"

"No! Why does everyone think that?"

"I watch too much TV?" Dean chuckled weakly.

Sam shook his head. "Look, we're getting off track here. What I'm trying to say is that I want you to be happy, and if Cas makes you happy, I want you to go for it."

"Sam, if your selective memory would think back to the lecture Dad gave us when he arrived, you would remember that we've already talked about this."

"No, we didn't talk about it." Sam said firmly. "You just agreed Dad was right without ever consulting me. Who cares what Dad thinks? It's not his life."

Dean raised an eyebrow.

"I'm okay, Dean, really. I didn't used to be—that fire and Jess dying was undeniably the worst time of my entire life. You were right to be worried about me and I'm so sorry I handled it the way I did. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how much I regret that."

"I was mad, you know." Dean said slowly, like he had never really talked about it. "I thought that I could be enough, that I could fix you. But I wasn't."

Sam looked down at his hands. "You are enough, Dean. It just that…you don't have to be everything for me. You can't. You aren't Mom and you aren't Jessica—you're just my awesome older brother. Well, awesome and gay older brother."

Dean covered up the fact that his eyes watered a little with a sarcastic snort. "Don't you dare start with that or I'll make you explain to Sarah why you have porn-worthy videos of me on your phone."

Sam did a double take. "Wait. You _know_ about me and Sarah?"

Dean tapped his head. "Older _and_ smarter, Sammy. Dude, why do you think I've kept her in so long? She is so not my type. Jane Austen? Really?"

"And you're okay with it?"

"Course' I'm okay with it. She came to the mixer that first night in glasses and an argyle blazer. I knew you'd be totally all over that."

"Wow. I did not see that coming."

"Yeah, well, you'll owe me forever etcetera, etcetera…"

"Love you, Dean." He tried to give his brother a hug.

"God, Sammy! Can we just save it for later? Like if you almost die or something?"

Coming from Dean, that was practically an "I love you too".

Dean muttered something about chick-flick moments and left to get some air.

* * *

><p>Dean paced at the back of the plane, a million thoughts running through his mind. He had to get his head straight, but the noise of the plane combined with a million passenger conversations wasn't helping.<p>

He looked up though as a tan trench coat swam into view and he found Castiel peering into his personal space.

"Are you alright, Dean?" Cas cocked his head in that funny way he had of asking a question.

"Yeah, I've just got a lot on my mind. The usual stuff. Did you know Sam and Sarah are together?" he blurted out, not ready to talk about his real issues.

"No, but it makes sense. I suspected that might be the case."

They both stood there and Dean shuffled his feet.

Castiel hesitantly patted Dean on the arm. "I'll leave you to your thoughts. I merely came to use the facilities."

He turned around and slid through the small door that read "vacant" in green lettering on the side. Suddenly, Dean couldn't bear to see him go. Not really thinking, he slipped in behind Cas.

"Dean, what are—" Cas started to say but Dean covered his mouth with his own. God, he just wanted to do this all the time. He pushed Castiel against the small plastic counter and flipped the lock.

Castiel responded to him in a glorious instant. Cas tasted like sunshine and pie and everything that was right in the world. And when he made that little mewling sound in the back of his throat, Dean couldn't stop himself if he tried.

He slipped open a couple buttons of Cas's white dress shirt and marveled at the expanse of pale skin. Dean suddenly wanted nothing more to mark it. He let his lips trail down Castiel's neck and the other man groaned in appreciation.

"God, Cas, you're so perfect." He sucked at a spot on his collarbone and watched with deep satisfaction as a blue mark appeared. He wanted more though.

"Cas, do you wanna…" he trailed off suggestively and lowered his hands to Castiel's hips, rocking once.

However, the thrust was probably harder than he had intended because Castiel slipped off the counter and landed on top of the adjacent toilet seat.

"Dean, there's no room," Castiel rasped. "How is this appealing to you?"

"Because it's you, man." Apparently that was the right answer because Castiel scrambled awkwardly to his feet and fisted Dean's shirt in his hands. He slipped his tongue in Dean's mouth and Dean was pretty sure he'd gone to heaven.

They kept up like that for several minutes and if Dean couldn't quite get his arms all the way around the other man because the walls were too tight, he ignored it.

"Besides, I like to live in the moment. You never know when you'll get another chance like this," he added.

Castiel pulled back fractionally. "Are you referring to the practice of having cramped and probably germ-infested bathroom sex or to the fact that you don't know when you'll get another chance to kiss me?"

Dean shrugged. "I dunno. Both?"

Castiel's hands were pushing him backwards now. "I can't do this." He started re-buttoning his collar.

Dean tried to run through what he had said, but it wasn't making sense. "What do you mean?"

Castiel gestured between them. "This. I can't be your dirty little secret, Dean."

"What? No, it's not like that, Cas."

"Except that it is. You haven't told your father," he said pointedly.

"I just haven't found the right time…"

"And when will the right time be exactly?" Castiel peered at him with that piercing blue gaze and Dean had to look away. "Why are we still on this show if you've made your choice? Why are you making me go through this—watching you with other women and having to act I'm competing for your affections? Either you want me or you don't."

"Of course I want you, don't be stupid."

"Stupid? It's stupid to want to be able to hold your hand in front of everyone? It's stupid to hope that you would want only me?"

"That's not what I meant."

Castiel sighed. "I know that's not what you meant. And I'm not going to ask you to choose between your family and me; I would never do that. However, I do believe I deserve more for myself than a secret make out session in an airplane bathroom."

Dean had nothing to say. Cas was absolutely right.

Castiel seemed to read his silence as something else though. "What are your intentions, Dean? Have you ever been serious about me or has this all been a lark, an experiment?"

A million responses ran through his mind. _You're the most amazing person I've ever met, Cas. I can't imagine life without you now. Who else has ever made me laugh the way you do? I love you._ He didn't say anything however because a knock sounded abruptly on the restroom door.

"Uh, excuse me," the voice of a stewardess called out, "I, umm, hate to interrupt, but only one person can be in there at a time."

Cas glanced back toward the door and then back to Dean. He leaned forward slightly and brushed his lips across the other man's. "You have to choose, Dean. Either way, I promise I'll understand," he finished with a sad little quirk to his mouth. He was gone before Dean could even protest.

* * *

><p>The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur for Dean. Everything seemed to happen through a veil; a voice over the speakers announced that they had arrived in Cancun and he somehow managed to stumble off the plane.<p>

Dean smiled numbly for the cameras as he checked into his resort suite, barely noticing the resplendent décor or the private Jacuzzi. He slipped into a swimsuit at some point and was vaguely aware of Sam hauling him to the beach.

He woke up for a brief moment when Cas arrived. His brother must have helped him find a swimsuit because Dean couldn't imagine that Cas would have picked out such a hot pair of black board shorts for himself.

Cas ignored him completely however and went swimming with Sam and Gabriel. It was a special kind of torture to watch them all laugh together from afar as Dean sulked under the umbrella and endured Ruby's endless complaints about the heat and Bela's attempt to tan herself in the sluttiest positions possible.

He pinched himself and dug his toes into the burning sand, but somehow even that didn't feel real.

Dinner passed in much the same way. Their party sat by the poolside under twinkling strands of lights, sipping fine wine on low divans and feasting on the best Cancun had to offer, but Dean hardly noticed. He was fairly certain he didn't embarrass himself, laughed in all the right places and didn't mix up his fork and his spoon, but that was it. His friends might as well have been speaking gibberish for all he cared and barely even batted an eye when Gabriel soaked him from an impromptu cannonball.

It simply hadn't occurred to him that he could lose Castiel. Even on his insane midnight ride to the airport, he had assumed that he would somehow catch up with Cas and that everything would work out. Castiel not wanting him back had never crossed his mind.

And now it was over. Cas had said as much. He wanted the whole package and Dean wasn't ready.

In the end, Dean just didn't think he had it in him to ruin his dad's hopes and dreams for his life. During the past weeks, he had experimented with what it felt like to make his own decisions and it was hard. It was hard to figure out what you really wanted and to have the courage to go get it. Maybe people like Sam could do that, but he didn't seem to be wired the same way.

He was afraid because, when it came down to it, what he wanted and what his dad wanted weren't very similar at all. And it wasn't only about Cas, if Dean was honest with himself. He thought back to his childhood dream of being a firefighter instead of a politician. If he truly wanted his own life, Cas was that first seemingly insurmountable step to having it—once he chose Cas, he would never be able to go back and it scared the shit out of him.

Dean suddenly realized that he had been abandoned by the poolside. He vaguely recalled seeing the others leave some time ago, but couldn't remember where they went. He slumped back into the divan and watched the different color lights flicker underwater, feeling like he was on the brink of some elusive revelation that was just out of his reach.

The slap of footsteps startled him however and he twisted around, half hoping that Cas had come for him after all. He was disappointed as a moist pair of lips brushed by his ear and he caught the scent of a sickly sweet perfume.

"Hey, sexy. You look like you could use some company."

"That's why I have my wine glass, Bela." He tipped it her direction and drained the remainder.

"Touching, Dean. You really are quite the charmer," she said but sat down next to him regardless.

"I aim to please, princess. Feel free to leave any time now." Dean poured himself another glass and proceeded to ignore her.

Bela, failing to take a hint, ran her fingers up his arm. He shuddered. "I'm not all bad, am I?" she asked.

Dean considered ripping her a new one. A long list of all the wrongs she had committed threatened to spill off his tongue, but he was just too tired. Or, maybe, this was what becoming more mature felt like?

It was pointless anyhow though; Bela would never be able to understand what a conniving bitch she really was because manipulating and lying to people were like what breathing and eating were to others. He might as well spend his time teaching Sam how to appreciate classic rock.

"You should go into business with my father," he said instead.

Bela thought about it and decided to look flattered. "And what makes you say that?"

"You'd probably be good at it. Heck, at the rate you're going, you could even make president someday."

The irony passed right over her. "Well, just as long as it wouldn't interfere with the fashion line I'm launching," she replied seriously.

Dean rolled his eyes and poured a third glass. He couldn't believe they were having an actual conversation, even if it mostly consisted of Dean insulting Bela without her realizing.

"I've decided to forgive you for the camouflage, by the way," she said and adopted her most charitable expression. "I have a feeling that little mishap might have had more to do with a certain meddlesome and rather obnoxious Novak."

"Well that's just incredibly generous of you, isn't it?" Dean couldn't remember how much wine he'd had over the course of the evening, but the world was spinning slightly.

"Yes it is, actually." Bela poured herself a glass of the stuff and held it up in a toast. "To generosity," she said.

Dean saluted and drained his cup. "To fucking generosity," he repeated.

In the next instant, before he could react, a pair of lips covered his own and he forgot it wasn't Cas. Maybe it was the combined effects of the alcohol and the pity party he had been throwing himself, but it felt good for a moment. He could almost pretend that Castiel would sigh his name any second and wrap his arms around him.

The scent of Bela's perfume hit him again though and, with a jolt, he tried to push her away. "Get off. I didn't ask you to kiss me. You have to get off."

"Dean, you know you want this," she purred from where she had managed to drape herself across his lap. "You've always wanted this."

It hit him. No, he didn't want this. He knew _exactly_ what he wanted and it wasn't Bela.

He tried to stand up at the same moment a chair clattered sharply to the deck floor. Castiel was there, picking himself up from where he had tripped and his shocked blue eyes met Dean's own.

"Forgive me. It was not my intention to, umm, interrupt. I was just coming…to see if you were okay…" he trailed off. His eyes flicked away from Dean and he backed up, a heartbroken expression etched across his features. In horror, Dean realized how this all had to look to Cas. He had Bela's freaking lipstick all over his face.

"Cas…this isn't...it's not how it looks," he tried to say but Castiel bolted.

"Get off me, Bela!" Dean yelled again, pushing Bela away. He had to find Cas and explain. He had to tell him what had happened.

Bela sat up. "That was rather unfortunate timing, wasn't it?" she smirked and rearranged her hair.

"You knew! You saw him coming!"

She stood and straightened her skirt. "It's for the best, Dean."

"Like hell it's for the best." He stood, preparing to race after Castiel. Bela grabbed his sleeve but he shoved her off.

Dean took all of two steps in the direction Castiel had run when a loud splash echoed from the pool area. Bela, dressed in a tight skirt and six-inch high heels, had fallen in. And Dean was the one who had accidentally pushed her.

He waited for her to swim to the side but she floundered in the water. "Of course she can't swim. Or course she can't fucking swim!" he yelled to the heavens, ripped off his shirt and jumped in after her.

By the time he dragged a sopping wet Bela back onto solid ground, he had no idea where Cas had gone. Dean pounded on his door until his voice went hoarse and even camped out beside it in the hallway, but Cas never returned.

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><p><strong>Okay, after writing this I feel totally angsty. I think I actually need some Ben and Jerry's now! But hey! If you like what you read, I would love to hear about it! Reviews totally make my day awesome. They're almost better than ice-cream...wait, what am I saying? Haha:)<strong>


	19. Chapter 19

**Without further ado, I present to you the conclusion of the tale! Stay tuned for an epilogue and outtakes though!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

**To: SammyismyBFF**

**Mayday Mayday! Dean is camped outside Cas's room…as opposed to inside it.**

**To: Gaberoxmysox**

**WTF? Did you change your display name on my phone? You are not allowed to touch my phone.**

**To: SammyismyBFF**

**Y? Don't u think Gaberoxmysox has a nice ring to it? Ur 4getting we have a crisis here tho. **

**To: Gabesucks**

**Do you know what happened? Dean was acting weird today.**

**To: SammyismyBFF**

**I'm guessing Bela. Or ur dad. Or the fact that Cas's social skills plus Dean's stupidity equals a negative number. **

**To: Gabesucks**

**So, go find your brother and let him know Dean's a moron. Big surprise there, by the way. I'll go find mine and let him know Cas deserves an F in communication. **

**To: SammyismyBFF**

**K, but there's 1 prblm.**

**To: Gabesucks**

**What?**

**To: SammyismyBFF**

**I've lost him. And I might have stolen his phone earlier this afternoon so I could change his ringtone to Justin Bieber. **

**To: Gabereallysupersucks-a-lot**

**1. Never mind, I actually like this whole name changing idea. 2. Go find your stupid brother. If anyone can do it, you can. **

**To: SammyismyBFF**

**LuvU2 Sammy and will do. Over and out. Roger that?**

**To: SammyismyBFF**

**I said ROGER THAT?**

**To: SammyismyBFF**

**R u ignoring me?**

**To: SammyismyBFF**

**Sam!**

* * *

><p>Gabriel found Cas late that night on the beach. The idiot had taken his shoes off, rolled up his pant legs and was sitting waist-deep in the water, just letting the tide wash over him.<p>

Gabriel shrugged. _'Well, if you can't beat them…'_ he thought to himself and kicked off his own shoes.

Cas didn't acknowledge him when he sat down. He stared straight ahead, like the ocean held all the answers he sought. Through the pale moonlight, Gabriel could see the waves reflect off his eyes like glass orbs instead of living flesh.

"You know you're totally creeping me out, right, Cas?" he said into the stillness. "This feels like the part of the movie where you drag me underwater and the search party finds only a single shoe the next day."

Castiel still didn't say anything but slowly turned to face Gabriel, his face an unreadable mask. They stared at each other for a long moment until Gabriel felt something suddenly grab his leg under the dark water.

There wasn't any point in pretending otherwise—he screamed.

Castiel cracked a grin and released him.

Gabriel clutched at his chest. "Good grief, Cas. Sometimes I forget you have a sense of humor. An evil sense of humor, sure, but it's still nice to know you're actually a Novak deep down."

"And, conversely, it's nice to know you still scream like a girl," his brother said in a distantly polite tone.

"Yeah," Gabriel admitted, "but a hot girl right? I don't scream like a fatty."

"You are so offensive."

"It's kind of my job description."

Castiel went back to staring out over the water.

"So, Cas, you want to tell me why I spent the entire night searching for you?"

Castiel raised an eyebrow. "The entire night? You know I love the beach."

"Well, I might have checked a couple candy shops, an ice-cream parlor and a strip club first. But that's beside the point—the point is that I spent the entire night searching for you, so you have to tell me what's up."

"I think I should leave for real this time. Dean is not ready for this…for us," he clarified and looked perfectly miserable while doing it.

"What happened?" Gabriel asked like he didn't already know. Like Dean hadn't already called him earlier in the evening after Sam found him and explained. "Was it that bitch Bela? Or John Winchester?"

His younger brother sighed and shook his head. "No, not really. Bela was just…being herself I suppose. I really doubt Dean, or anyone for that matter, has a lot of say in it when she decides she wants them."

"So what's the problem then?"

Castiel cupped the water on either side and let it spill through his fingers. "I don't date, Gabriel."

"Ahhh, yes, well that makes everything clear, thank you."

"What I mean to say is that people are disappointing. They make you think that you can hope, that you can plan for the future, that you can trust—and then they inevitably let you down. You end up wishing you were incapable of feeling all those good things in the first place just to save yourself from the pain of when it doesn't work out."

"That's kind of a rotten way to look at life, Cas. What if, instead of assuming the worst, you're about to get everything you've ever hoped for?"

Castiel looked up, surprised.

Gabriel took a deep breath and decided to trust what Dean had told him earlier. "Listen, I will kill you in cold blood if you ever tell anyone I said anything this mushy, but, if you never let someone in, little brother, you'll never get to experience true happiness or love in life either. To get all that mind-blowing-totally-worth-it awesomeness, you have to embrace the possibility of real failure."

"You've been watching too much day-time television again, haven't you?"

Gabriel swatted him. "Probably, yes. I do love me some Oprah. But that doesn't mean it's not still true! Look, I'm not here to lie and say that Dean-o will never disappoint you, because, let's face it, he's Dean and he will. But, to be fair, you don't exactly have rainbows shooting out of your ass either. That's life. The great thing though, is that you'll love each other anyway because it's worth it in the end. Kinda like you and me, you know?"

Gabriel paused. "I'm well aware that my love life isn't an ideal example per se, but I like to think that I work at the relationships that count. I'm not sure if I'm destined to have a soul mate or whatever, but I have you. And Lucy, Michael and Zachariah," he added.

"I'm still scared."

"That's fine. Just don't let it stop you from living."

Castiel didn't say anything in reply, but a warm arm slid around Gabriel's shoulders and his brother scooted closer. They sat like that for an unending moment, together, watching the water meet the horizon.

It might have been five years or five minutes but eventually Castiel stood up and offered a hand to him. "Okay," was all he said, but Gabriel understood.

* * *

><p>The following evening, they raced through the resort hallways and down a sandy trail to the beach.<p>

"We slept the whole day! How did that happen? You were supposed to wake me up!" Castiel yelled over his shoulder. "Can't you tell time?"

"Yeah, my bad," Gabriel shouted lamely back.

They had returned to Gabriel's room as the sun was rising and had immediately passed out on his brother's queen-sized bed. Gabriel had mumbled something about having set an alarm and Castiel, half-asleep at the time, hadn't double-checked.

He looked back at his brother, who was huffing and puffing along the trail. "Move it, Gabe!" he cried, "We can't miss this."

Despite his current activity, Castiel was done running from his problems. He was not, nor ever would be, a coward. He needed a final answer from Dean and he was determined to get it. He would not give Dean the luxury of never having to make an actual decision about their relationship because he'd run away. Either way, he was going to get some sort of closure at the final elimination.

His stomach twisted in knots. They were more than twenty minutes late. He couldn't miss this—he couldn't miss his chance. Castiel sent a prayer heavenward that they hadn't started yet.

They sprinted down toward a gazebo that had been built at the end of a long dock. Constructed in a hexagonal shape, all but one side was crisscrossed in a thick lattice. The side facing the ocean however had been left open, and pink and orange hues reflected off the water in the fading light.

Castiel and Gabriel burst onto the scene and gasped for air.

"Made it! Didn't I tell you?" Gabriel wheezed and tried to offer Castiel a high-five. Castiel glared at him.

John Winchester grabbed Gabriel by the scruff of his purple collar. "And now that our ridiculously overpaid host is here, can we finally start the damn elimination?" he growled and gestured toward the various cameras that had been set up over the area. Obviously, John's mood hadn't improved in the time they spent apart. Castiel noted with interest that even Balthazar sat manning a wide-frame lens for the finale.

Green recording lights flashed and Castiel felt sure several of them were intentionally zoomed in on his sweaty complexion. He hadn't even had time to change out of the wrinkled slacks he'd worn last night in the water. He looked down guiltily at the salt streaks that lined the navy material.

Everyone else had already arrived and the other contestants, dressed in their best, stood impatiently in a line. Bela in particular shot him a scathing look as she assessed his bedhead and five o'clock shadow.

Castiel, via his intrinsic Dean-radar, felt the intensity of Dean's stare from across the gazebo. He looked down though and studied his shoes, like they held the secrets to the universe. Now that he was actually here, he wasn't quite ready to be rejected yet. It had been easy to convince himself that the honorable course of action was to show up for the ceremony, but it was much harder to actually live the experience.

Gabriel readjusted his white tie and flashed a less than apologetic smile at John, who glowered at him, his mouth a tight line of annoyance.

"Ready to go, boss-man," he saluted cheekily and winked at Sam who stood nervously by his father. John moved to stand by Dean and squeezed his shoulder. To the cameras, it probably looked like a show of support, but Dean cringed at the contact.

Gabriel grabbed a microphone from a technician. "Ladies and Gentlemen!" he gulped, still out of breath. "Welcome to finale of the third season of Single Ladies! I know my charming smile and sharp wit is unforgettable, but in case you need a reminder, I'm your host, Gabriel Novak.

"Okay, now for the fun stuff! Let's do a recap of the season, shall we? The final four stand before us tonight. Bela Talbot, Ruby Miner, Sarah Blake and Cas—"

"Wait." A quiet voice cut him off and Castiel finally, finally looked up at Dean. The man was staring right at him, like he knew he would be.

"Excuse me?" John Winchester rang out in the sudden silence. Everyone in the vicinity held his or her breath.

Dean stepped to the side, away from his father. "I don't need this, Dad," he gestured around him and his voice grew in strength. "I don't need a pointless ceremony to make the easiest choice I've ever made."

Sam's eyebrows shot straight up into his hairline and a wide smile started to stretch across Gabriel's face.

Dean shuddered and took a deep breath. He spoke rather quickly at first, but soon fell into a natural rhythm as he gained confidence. "This whole show is stupid. How can someone be expected to fall in love in front of a bunch of cameras? It's predictable and contrived."

He turned to face the cameras that still rolled. "This show has never been about me. It's been about image, reputation, and making a profit. If I picked one of these girls right now, it'd be a total lie and I'm done with that. I'm done lying to the cameras and I'm done lying to myself. So screw the TV ratings, because there's a couple things I need to do."

He walked over to Sarah, who stood with her mouth hanging open. Dean reached up and gently closed it. "Sarah, I'd be lying if I said I liked you as anything more than a friend. You should be with someone who loves you back." A tear trickled down Sarah's face and she looked over to Sam.

"And, hey," Dean added, "maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get a chance to like you as a sister-in-law someday," he said as Sam flushed ten shades of scarlet.

Dean moved on to Ruby. "Ruby, I hope we can part as friends as well. Friends who never see each other and send only a Christmas card once a year though. Or even friends who live in different countries if you'd be willing to move? But seriously, if I ever decide that I want to be with a super shallow gossip, you'll be first on my list."

Ruby tried to say something nasty in reply but nothing came out.

Dean chuckled to himself as he moved to stand in front of Bela, who had narrowed her eyes to tiny little slits. Her hands had been clenched into fists and her knuckles had gone white.

"And finally, Bela, don't think I didn't save the best for last. Because, as you've so often told me, you are, in fact, the best."

John Winchester opened his mouth in protest but, to Castiel's surprise, Balthazar slapped a hand over it and winked at Castiel.

"Listen, you idiot. Your son has something to say," he growled in a low voice and shoved John into the lattice.

Dean continued. "Only you and you alone, Bela, hold the title of the best conniving, manipulative and narcissistic bitch I've ever had the misfortune of meeting. I'd tell you to go jump off a cliff or play in traffic, but that would feel like letting you off the hook."

Bela slapped him and Dean grinned. "If that's the best you got, sweetheart, I'll take it."

"I was supposed to have you! That was our deal!" she appealed to John as the cameras turned his direction. Still bound by Balthazar, John shook his head a little too violently for anyone to believe he hadn't promised her that.

"I'm not anyone's to give away. You can't buy love," Dean retorted.

"You bastard," she hissed at him.

"Love you too, bitch," he said and motioned to Gabriel. Gabriel slung an arm around her waist and pushed her back toward the hotel.

"In case that tiny little brain of yours needs an interpretation," Gabriel smirked, "I believe you've just been eliminated, princess. Let go, fired, laid off—pick your choice of phrases there."

Bela let out a long scream as several of the cameramen rushed to escort her back to the hotel and hopefully onto an airplane. Ruby ran to catch up.

Dean laughed. "That was even better than I imagined. It's kind of freeing, this whole choosing thing."

John Winchester let out a muffled yell and Dean turned to his father. "Dad, regardless of the deal you made or even how you feel about me after this, I still love you and I want you to know that. But I have to live my own life. Did you know I don't even like politics?"

John looked furious. It probably would have been more intimidating if his eyebrows weren't still missing.

Dean turned to the cameras. "Confession: I didn't vote last year. I don't stinking care what corrupt politicians are on the ballet. I plan on voting when someone worthy of office finally runs. Right now, for the record, I'm not entirely sure that includes my dad."

He shook his head and continued. "So, as Gabriel started to say, let's recap. I did not fall in love on a dating television show. Surprise."

Castiel felt his stomach sink and wondered why he was still standing there. He looked for an exit.

"I fell in love before the show even started."

Castiel jerked up in surprise and found Dean matching his gaze. He forgot how to take a breath.

"I fell in love the first time I saw this man one night in L.A. I used to think that I would take months, even years to fall in love, but all it took was a second."

He walked slowly over to Castiel, like he was trying not to spook him. "Castiel Novak, regardless of how you feel about me after last night, you deserve to know that I love you. I love you with all my heart, soul and mind. Maybe even more that bacon cheeseburgers and the Impala combined."

He stood there in shock. Dean's green eyes drifted over his face like he was hoping for an answer but Castiel's vocal cords didn't seem to be functioning.

Dean continued anyway and his voice shook a little. "What you said to me on the plane—you were right. You deserve so many things I want to give you, but the first thing you deserve is an apology.

"I should have kissed you the first night I saw you at that mixer and cancelled the whole stupid show. It's been only you from day one and I'm sorry it took me so long to understand what I want. Choosing you should have been the easiest choice I've ever made."

Dean looked back to where Sam, Sarah and Gabriel stood together. "It took the help of some friends—yes, even you, Gabe—to realize what an easy choice it actually was."

He grabbed Castiel's hand. "Look, Cas, I may be a slow learner, but I know what I want now and I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt, that what I want is you. I want the whole deal; the handholding, the public kisses, even the movie nights where I bring home some lame action flick and you fall asleep on my shoulder. I want 'until death do us part'"

Castiel was pretty sure he stopped breathing a long time ago and wondered why he wasn't passed out on the ground. Dean took a deep breath and got down on one knee.

"So, Castiel Novak, in front of our friends, family and the whole world, I'd like to ask you to be mine. I realize that you may want nothing to do with me, but I know I'll regret if forever if I let you slip away. Will you marry me?"

Dean pulled a tiny black box from his pocket and flipped it open to reveal a delicate gold band.

Castiel tried to get his vocal cords to work. It was probably important that he answer a question like this, his brain thought numbly. He coughed instead.

Gabriel walked over and slapped him on the back. "Give him a second," he said to an anxious Dean, "he's about as emotionally constipated as you are."

Castiel threw his brother a glare but suddenly realized he could speak again.

"Yes," he croaked. "Yes, absolutely."

Dean's face lit up and he stood so Castiel could rush into his arms. Castiel cupped his face with both palms.

"I love you too, Dean. So much."

At that, Dean swept him in for a much overdue kiss and Castiel melted inside. He didn't hear Sam, Sarah and Gabriel burst into applause or see Balthazar clock John Winchester as he moved to intervene. He missed excited buzz of the camera crew and Becky trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. There was only Dean, Dean who had said he loved him.

If a person could burst from happiness, Castiel might have exploded then and there. As it was, he could barely keep kissing Dean because of the smile that stretched across his face.

"What's so funny?" Dean mumbled into his neck as he squeezed him tighter.

"Maybe _you_ didn't, but I found true love on a dating show," he grinned back. "What are the chances?"

"Not a clue, but I _can_ tell you the chances of you and me heading back to the hotel and living happily ever after," Dean said and tugged Castiel away from the celebration. "How do you feel about one-hundred percent?"

* * *

><p><strong>So there you go! Ahhh I'm a sucker for a happy endings! A wedding epilogue to come!<strong>

**If this story made you smile, please leave a review. I want to celebrate actually completing a story with you! I didn't think I would be able to stay interested this long!**

**Love you all so so so so much. Definitely more than cheeseburgers and the Impala. Combined. **


	20. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Castiel straightened his bowtie in a small mirror that sat propped up on a writing desk in the church's vestry.

"It's still crooked," Gabriel commented and Castiel immediately swerved back toward the glass to double check.

"No it's not." He frowned and readjusted the bowtie anyway though.

"Yeah, I know. Made you look."

"I would tell you that you have the maturity of a five year old, but I think Dean has already done that a thousand times today. And last night," he added, thinking of the rehearsal dinner.

Gabriel gave him a once over in reply and wolf whistled. "Dean's going to go crazy. In that tux, even I'd do you."

"And now I have to brush my teeth again; I might have just thrown up a little in my mouth."

In some ways, it was still hard to believe he was standing here. The past year had been—overwhelming. Castiel had had no idea life could be as good as it had turned out to be with Dean.

He had gone home to L.A. after the finale and had been woken up less than twenty-four hours later by Dean, standing on his doorstep with a single suitcase. The man had packed everything that mattered to him (which consisted mostly of some outdated ACDC and Metallic cassette tapes) in a single bag, left his father and Colorado and driven the Impala straight through the night. And thus, Castiel had graciously allowed his fiancé to live with him in his cramped and crappy studio apartment.

Coming to L.A. was like a fresh breath of air for Dean. The longer he spent apart from his father, the happier he became. He smiled frequently, was quick to laugh and, much to Sam's protested annoyance (he had followed his brother out to the city and now lived in a slightly less crappy apartment on the floor below), Castiel found himself the recipient of unexpected displays of affection. Sam insisted that they were supposed to keep certain activities in their own apartment instead of his, but Dean took special pleasure in ignoring that rule, and Castiel was usually too…busy...to remember the rule even existed.

For better or worse, all of their lives were still filled with Gabriel. His brother claimed he had his own apartment, but Castiel couldn't count the number of times he'd woken up to Dean's cursing when the man had discovered him crashed on the couch across the room. To be fair though, while Dean endlessly denied his affection for the sandy haired man, Castiel had just as frequently woken up to the two of them sharing a late night beer in front of the TV.

Sarah, to his delight, was an ever-present fixture as well. She and Sam had hit it off and it wasn't unusual to find her at Sam's apartment, curled up at his side and watching a movie together. According to Dean, his brother had adopted a permanently goofy smile in her presence and had turned into a lovesick moron.

Castiel wasn't sure about the accuracy of Dean's diagnosis, but Sam did seem to spend quite a lot of time asking him what sort of dates he should take Sarah on, as if he were an expert. While Sam nodded and took all his suggestions very seriously, Castiel did not feel like he was particularly helpful. His idea of romance mostly included ordering Chinese take-out with Dean and watching reruns of their favorite shows.

He had, however, offered one suggestion that both Sam and Sarah jumped on. Much to Dean's professed displeasure, the group made a trip to Disneyland one weekend. Dean spent the entire time ridiculing Sam for wanting to meet the Disney princesses and wearing a pair of mouse ears, but Castiel couldn't help notice the way Dean's face had lit up during the firework show and he had reached for his hand.

However, as wonderful as life was, it didn't mean that every day was a fairytale. Castiel was almost sure that the heroes of those sort of stories never woke up the neighbors with their snoring or hogged all the bed covers, and he didn't know of any Prince Charming that refused to share his Cocoa Pebbles or got into insanely stupid fights with his brother over the relative merits of various NASCAR drivers. He was also pretty certain that fairytale characters didn't have all the seasons of Dr. Sexy MD stored in a secret box under their bed.

Additionally, if life were a fairytale, the premiere of Single Ladies that fall should have exposed a lot of people for the awful human beings they really were. Instead, between John's threats to sue Balthazar over the illegal cameras, and Balthazar's threats to broadcast John's worst moments on national television, the two had arrived at a shaky compromise. In the end, a heavily edited version of the show aired, missing all the moments that might have made it great, and received just enough viewers to be renewed for a fourth season. Gabriel was tentatively asked to return as host on the condition that all his family members stay the hell away from future seasons.

Ironically, the only person who really profited from the whole fiasco was Bela. Like most truly horrible people, she had gone on to become insanely famous because of it. Or infamous, depending on the perspective. After Single Ladies, she had indeed launched her own clothing line, made a ridiculous amount of money and serial dated her way through a lot of people equal to her horrendous caliber.

Gabriel, citing something about 'just desserts', said that he should set her and John Winchester up as a match made in heaven. His comment was greeted by a contemplative frown from Sam and a face-full of soda Dean spewed his way in shock.

In the end though, none of it mattered. Castiel still felt like he had somehow impossibly won the lottery when he met Dean's green gaze across the aisle.

He wasn't ashamed to admit he missed pretty much everything that was said during the first half of the ceremony as he tried to memorize the way Dean looked at that precise moment. In fact, he was still working on his count of how many freckles the man actually had, when a jarring tune rang suddenly throughout the church. Castiel looked down in surprise to realize the rattle was coming from his own pocket.

_And I was like baby, baby, baby, oh_

_Like baby, baby, baby, no_

He pulled his phone out in puzzlement. Dean, with Sam peering around his shoulder looked just as confused.

"Hello?" he said into the device.

"You should try paying attention to your own wedding ceremony instead of Dean's cute dimples, little brother," a familiar voice chatted away casually. "Glad to know you still use the Biebs as your ringtone, by the way. No need to say thanks for that one."

Castiel twisted around to where Gabriel stood behind him, his own phone pressed to his ear. He wondered again what had possessed him to ask Gabe to be his best man.

Gabriel grinned right back at him. "You know, we never make time to just chat anymore. How are you?" he asked into the cell.

Castiel moved to throttle him, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"I got this one, man. It's my turn," Dean said, like an exhausted parent. He walked over to Gabriel and plucked his phone from his hand.

"Looks like you just ran out of minutes," he stated and snapped the phone in half. He placed the remains carefully back inside Gabriel's jacket pocket. For once, Gabriel didn't have a snappy comeback. He simply looked down at his pocket in complete astonishment.

Dean turned toward their audience of friends and family and clapped his hands. "Okay! Let's get this show back on the road, people. I need to marry the man of my dreams. Right. This. Instant."

It was surprisingly smooth sailing after that. Rings were exchanged and Castiel made the same vows he had made the night of season finale. The whole ceremony was really more of a legality than anything else—he had been Dean's from the moment he first met him after all.

He came back to himself when he found Dean standing less than an inch away and staring intently at him. The corner of his mouth was tilted in amusement and he scanned Castiel's expression.

"You're never going to count them all, you know," he said lowly, so that only Castiel could hear. "It's impossible."

Castiel looked back at him, stunned. "How did you know that's what I was doing?"

Dean chuckled. "You only get that expression when you're trying to figure out Gabe's obscure pop culture references or counting my freckles, man."

"Really?"

"Really, really. Now, how about we make this whole marriage thing official and you give your husband a kiss?"

There was nothing left to say; Castiel wrapped his arms around the other man and pulled him down into a fierce embrace.

Sam coughed into his hand. "PG-13. PG-13. We had an agreement, guys."

Reluctantly, they broke apart to the cheers from the audience. Castiel scanned the sea of faces. All of Castiel's brothers filled the front row and Lucifer winked at him. Sarah had her arm around a tearful Becky and Balthazar sat nearby with his own handkerchief in hand. Bobby Singer was there, along with the rest of Dean's family who had taken his side. Even John, under a strict set of terms and conditions, sat stiffly in the back of the chapel.

Castiel had been the one to invite John. Dean had dismissed the idea immediately, but Castiel wasn't so quick to let it go. Even if Dean was willing to give up a relationship with his father, Castiel could never forgive himself if he let it happen. And while John and he would never be friends, they were at least able to briefly coexist in the same room for Dean's sake. Perhaps, someday, they would even be able to stand an awkward let's-not-talk-about-our-layers-and-layers-of-issues-and-just-eat-this-damn-turky Christmas dinner together.

He could do anything after all, as long as he had Dean by his side, he thought joyfully as they exited the church into the California sunlight.

* * *

><p><strong>Man, it was hard to find a place to stop writing! I had all these ideas about Gabe hijacking the band at the reception and insisting on singing everything himself. I also have a document of various random moments that would take place over the next few years, like Castiel naming one of the new foals born on the ranch 'Toyota' (much to Dean's disapproval of course). But, I did have to stop writing after all-so I can start my next story! Yes, fan fiction is a disease: I now have all these ideas for new stories with our two favorite characters. <strong>

**So, signing off for now and let's all cross our fingers for a good Season 7 finale! **


	21. Outtakes

**And these outtakes are brought to you by…boredom! Yes, Ladies and Gents, I finally have time to sit down and do the little stuff. I didn't think I would continue this, but an awesome review changed my mind. These all take place after the finale—Some are during the year before the wedding and some are definitely in later years.**

**They're just for you. Cause I love you guys and your continued support has been amazing.**

* * *

><p>Castiel was exhausted. It wasn't so easy to throw an engagement party. Of course, Gabriel claimed he had done the majority of the work, but in reality, he had mostly burned half the appetizers (and eaten the other half himself), broken a couple of chairs doing what he called 'athletic karaoke' and mildly offended the majority of Dean's friends. After some reflection, Castiel supposed it was probably more work to clean up after Gabriel than anything else really.<p>

He was slumped in the kitchen, resting his head awkwardly on the counter, when a pair of strong arms circled him from behind and a warm breath exhaled deliciously next to his ear.

"There you are," purred what he considered to be the sexiest voice in the entire world. "Here I am having an engagement party and _Gabriel_ is the one glued to my side. What will people think?" Dean ran his hands up and down Castiel's sides, accidentally-on-purpose slipping beneath the hem of his shirt.

"They're probably hoping you kept the return receipt when you bought your new puppy."

Dean laughed at that and Castiel turned around to face him. "Don't tell me you're jealous that Gabe and I bonded over Jack Daniels and Superbad?"

Castiel snorted and shook his head reflexively, but Dean knew better. "I think we've bonded over some other stuff, if you know what I mean," he whispered and his hands started drifting again.

Castiel swatted them away. "I know you and your games, Winchester, and I'm not playing right now. At our party. In front of our friends and family," he reminded his fiancée.

"But later right?" Now Dean was the one who looked like a puppy.

Castiel winked and placed a kiss on the other man's cheek. "Maybe. I haven't seen Gabriel in ten minutes though and that means something's probably on fire by now," he said and dragged Dean from the kitchen.

Instead of encountering an inferno however, they found Gabriel at the door, passing out party favors to exiting guests. Wrapped in shiny pink paper and purple ribbon, it seemed Gabriel _had_ actually contributed something to the party after all. Dean snatched one of the bags and pulled out what appeared to be a t-shirt. Confusion spread across his face as he read the transcription.

"Care to explain, Gabe?" he asked.

Castiel peered around Dean's arms at the bright sparkling letters. "TFD?"

Gabriel grinned at them both and air-fived Sarah and Sam, who stood at the opposite end of the room.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "It's our gang symbol."

* * *

><p>Sam eyed Dean speculatively. Buried underneath an obscene amount of luggage, only Dean's giant smile was visible. "And what has you so excited exactly?" he asked, jiggling the key to his own apartment downstairs.<p>

Dean looked like he simply couldn't contain himself any longer. "I'm going home for the holidays with Cas," he said, practically vibrating.

"And Cas owns seven powder blue suitcases?"

"Nah. That's definitely Gabe," his brother replied without even sounding annoyed. Something was definitely very wrong.

"Okaaay…"

Dean looked at Sam like he happened to be the stupidest person on the planet at that moment. "Dude!" he said. "There are still two Novak brothers I haven't met! Do you even understand how awesome this is going to be? I hope they all pick on Gabe…" he drifted off into a happy, contented silence.

Castiel came out of the bedroom, his own small duffel bag swinging from his shoulder. He looked quickly at Sam and then back at Dean, who was still staring off into space with a goofy expression.

"He does do that a lot lately, doesn't he? I promise though that I will try to bring him back alive, Sam," he said earnestly.

Gabriel chose that moment to darken the doorframe. "Yeah, no guarantees about that, Sammy. For heaven's sake, will you two get a move-on?" he cried, gesturing to where Dean lay sprawled under the baggage. He pushed Castiel toward the door as Dean struggled to his feet.

"Merry freaking Thanksgiving. Give Sarah my best," Gabriel called as the door slammed behind him.

It finally came to Sam what he was thankful for. He was thankful he wouldn't be the one having to endure a plane ride with the three of them that year.

* * *

><p>Becky's blue Toyota Corolla pulled into the parking lot at exactly six o'clock. Perched on the fire escape, Castiel could see her apply another shade of fire engine red lipstick in the rearview mirror.<p>

He leaned through the open window and called, "Is Sam's date tonight?"

Dean came barreling out of the bedroom with a fist pump. "I almost forgot! Give me one sec, Cas."

He could hear the microwave running and Dean appeared moments later with an enormous bag of popcorn. Castiel scowled at the fluffy kernels. "Your brother's pain is not entertainment."

Dean shrugged guiltily and shoved a handful of the stuff into his mouth as Castiel's scowl deepened. "So I take an unhealthy interest in watching Sam squirm. What of it?"

Castiel said nothing, but reached over to grab some popcorn for himself and scooted aside to let Dean squeeze through the window frame and onto the rickety staircase. Even in the shade, the metal was hot mid-summer and made his butt stick to the tiny platform that nested right outside their cramped apartment.

They munched on popcorn as Becky stepped out of the vehicle, wobbling in her tall pumps and pressed the intercom button.

Castiel couldn't hear a thing that was said, but sure enough, Sam slunk through the building door approximately five minutes later, looking like he was attempting to blend into the asphalt. What _was_ surprising however, was when the door swung open a second time and Sarah followed him out.

Dean almost choked on his popcorn.

Sarah and Becky embraced enthusiastically, looking exactly like two old friends. Then, Sarah grabbed a reluctant Sam by an elbow and shoved him toward the blonde haired girl.

Sam greeted Becky with a stiff hug but she was having none of it and pointed to her cheek with a single scarlet nail.

Sam baulked, horrified, and looked back toward Sarah, probably hoping for help. Sarah crossed her arms though in a 'get-on-with-it' sort of gesture. Resigned, Sam leaned in, so slow he could have been a glacier, and placed a faint kiss on Becky's cheek. Becky immediately screamed (Castiel could actually hear that), clapped her hands in delight, and embraced Sarah again.

She then yanked Sam toward the car, chatting away animatedly as she strapped Sam into his seat, locked the doors and sped away. The last thing Castiel saw was the image of Sam staring forlornly at Sarah through the back window as the little blue car disappeared into the distance.

Parking lot finally empty, Sarah uncrossed her arms and a smirk spread across her face.

"Huh. I guess she was actually serious when she said Sam should have to experience the consequences of stupid promises. That's actually kind of hot, you know, in a teacher sort of way," Dean mused and leaned back against the railing. Light from the sinking sun played across his hair.

"As always, you remain ever the philosopher."

"Why don't you come over here and I'll philosophize you." He waggled his eyebrows and Castiel was reminded of a cartoon villain.

Castiel rolled his eyes affectionately and picked up the book he had been reading before Becky arrived. He found himself unable to concentrate however and ended up staring at Dean instead. He still couldn't believe sometimes that Dean had actually chosen him.

"Even with my eyes closed over here, I can still tell when you're being creepy, Cas."

Castiel cleared his throat. "Would you prefer I leave?"

"Nah, you can stay," Dean replied nonchalantly, but a smile crept over his face regardless as he basked in the fading sun. Castiel supposed he may be a bit of a creeper for Dean, but Dean liked being creeped on right back.

Thus, they settled in to wait for when Becky and Sam returned.

* * *

><p>Sam kicked Dean from underneath the table when a familiar mane of dirty blonde hair entered the restaurant.<p>

"You said he wasn't coming. You _promised_!" he hissed as his expression changed from mildly nervous to down right panicked.

"Dude! I don't know what happened. I swear I didn't say a word. He just knows things," Dean pled.

Gabriel sauntered up the table where Dean, Castiel, Sam and Sarah sat.

"Hey all," he began, like he had actually been invited, "This isn't exactly your usual joint. Glad to see the group's getting a little classier." He looked around in amusement at the sterling silver dishware, flower displays and the string quartet playing nearby. It was a far cry from the burger joints they usually frequented.

Sarah, ever gracious, was the first to respond. "Gabe! Pull up a chair! I'm so happy you could make it. Believe me, it came as a shock to me as well when Sam suggested this." She looked over Sam's way with a frown of suspicion.

Sam fidgeted with his napkin, eyes fixed firmly on the floor. "Well, believe me," Gabriel said, mussing Sam's hair on his way by with a little more force than was strictly necessary, "nothing, and I mean _nothing_, could keep me away from a night like this." He sat down with an air of finality.

Sam stood up. "Dean, can I speak to you for a moment? In private," he added for Gabriel's benefit.

They converged in the bathrooms. "I can't do this. Gabe showing up is an omen. This whole thing is bound to go horrendously wrong in ways I haven't even thought of yet."

"You have to do it. He'll just find us again. There's no way out." Dean patted his brother sympathetically on the back. "You got this, Sammy." Sam shuddered and they headed back toward the table.

A surprisingly normal dinner followed however, despite Sam's concerns. It was only as dessert was being served that Sam broke out in a sweat again. He pulled out his chair and got down on one knee in front of Sarah, who looked shocked.

"Sarah," he began, a slight quaver in his voice, "There's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while now. Well, actually pretty much since I first met you, come to think of it."

Gabriel bounced up and down in his seat then, making Castiel's champagne tip over. "Me too, me too! Don't forget me!" he called and dashed to Sam's side. Dean and Castiel exchanged a look, deeply grateful they were currently out of important ceremonies for Gabriel to interrupt.

Sam had obviously decided Gabriel might give up and go away if he ignored him so he continued, "I never thought I would find someone I could love again after what happened in the fire, but then you came into my life. I laugh more with you than with anybody else."

Gabriel inserted right behind, "And as Sam's official BFF, I never thought he would be able to love again either, but then you came into our lives. And Sam laughed almost as much with you as he did with me." Sam and Sarah threw him an annoyed look but Gabriel disregarded it entirely and gave Sam an encouraging smile. "Go on, Sammy."

Sam grasped one of Sarah's hands in his own. Gabriel claimed the other. "What I mean to say is, I want you around for the rest of my life. I can't imagine life without you and I hope you feel the same way."

Gabriel followed with, "…and I want you to be around my life too as long as you don't cut into BFF time, and I hope you feel the same way about us."

"I promise to love you…"

"…Sam promises to love you…"

"…in sickness and in health…"

"…as long as his BFF isn't currently sick and then he obviously gets dibs…"

"…and you'd make me the happiest man on the planet if you said yes."

"…and you'd make me happy too if you said yes."

Sarah's eyes shone with tears and she leaned forward to pull Sam into an embrace as he slid a sparkling diamond on her finger. Gabriel awkwardly squeezed himself between them. "Isn't this nice, guys?" he asked, sighing happily. "I love happy endings."

Sarah, to her credit, gave Gabriel his own hug. "It would be even happier if you'd fetch that waiter to bring us some champagne, Gabe." Gabriel raced off on his mission.

Sam looked at Sarah in wonder. "I spent all of dinner figuring out how to get rid of him and you did it in a second. Have I told you how much I love you recently?"

Sarah admired her diamond. "Yes, but feel free to tell me again."

Sam laughed. "I promise I'll redo this. It might have to be in a locked closet to get away from Gabe but it'll happen."

Sarah looked at him seriously. "Now Sam, I knew you had a kid before I promised to marry you."

Dean snorted into his champagne and Sam shrugged sheepishly.

"Actually," she continued, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

><p>Dean leaned over the fence, gazing contemplatively at the horse pasture. It had taken a few years, but they had finally returned to Colorado, sans Gabriel of course. John had been very specific on that point.<p>

Upon arrival, Dean had disappeared with John—In the confusion, Castiel made out something about the two of them needing to talk farm business and he figured they would be sequestered in John's official all afternoon. Yet here Dean stood, still alive and intact after having seen his father, watching the horses graze.

He sidled up beside Dean and was struck suddenly by the way age had given his face more definition. It hardly seemed possible that it was almost ten years to the date he had fallen in love with him in this very place.

"You survived," Castiel pointed out rather obviously and Dean chuckled.

"Barely. You know how he gets. He has this idea that we should come back here to run the ranch for him since he's so busy in Washington. I told him to shove it," Dean said with satisfaction. It was still a source of pride for him whenever he managed to say no to John.

Castiel said nothing but looked over the green pasture and the hilly woodland beyond it. Summertime in the mountains was peaceful and the valley had descended into a sleepy sort of silence. Only the drone of the bees and a light wind that ruffled the grass broke the stillness.

"Yes."

Dean turned his way. "That was random. Yes to what?"

Castiel laid his hand over his husband's, fingering the gold ring he had placed on it ages ago. "Yes to the ranch. Living here. Everything."

Dean's eyebrows shot up and he gaped. "You actually want to live here? Do you remember how miserable my dad made you the last time we were here?"

"No. I only remember thinking that your eyes were the perfect shade of green when you showed us all the Impala for the first time." He gestured toward where the old red barn sat. "I remember kissing you in the hallway outside my old room, and I remember our snowball fight in those hills."

"Huh," Dean replied. Age had most definitely not made his answers more elegant. They fell into silence again.

"What about Sam?" he asked a few minutes later.

"Do you imagine you could keep him away? He'll visit all the time. The kids will love this place."

Dean was silent again, but a grin had spread across his face. "Really? You'd do that for me? We can actually live here?"

Castiel sighed. "Not just for you, I want it too. But yes, I would."

Dean slung an arm over his shoulders and pressed a kiss into Castiel's messy hair. "I knew I picked right," he said smugly. Moment over and decision made, he got down to business immediately. "We should name these new foals. It can be our first decision as farm owners."

Four new foals grazed in the pasture alongside their mothers and Dean regarded each one carefully. "Let's see. Ferrari, Camero, Mustang…" he looked over at Castiel. "Go ahead, you should name one too. Has to be a car though, we can't go disappointing Sam with nice normal names," he added.

Castiel pondered the idea. "I believe I am rather fond of Volkswagen."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Seriously? Fine, but we have to call him VW for short. No one can ever know I named a horse after the same company that makes Bugs."

"Works for me," Castiel shrugged as they headed back to the house hand in hand.

**The End.**


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